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Earthy Mushroom and Barley Soup

The mushrooms give this soup a meaty flavor without any actual meat. Simmering the barley for close to an hour gets it tender, but it still has a nice chew.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1.5 lbs cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 1 large yellow onion ~1.5 cups, finely diced
  • 4 medium carrots diced
  • 2 large celery ribs finely diced
  • 1 1/4 cups pearl barley rinsed
  • 10 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tsp kosher salt to start
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Cook onion, carrots, and celery 7-10 minutes until softened.
  • Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper; cook 8-10 minutes until mushrooms release water and brown.
  • Add barley, broth, bay leaves, and thyme; bring to boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45-55 minutes until barley is tender.
  • Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Makes about 8-10 servings of soup.