Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 qt. mushroom stock (recipe follows)
  • ½ cup barley
  • ⅓ cup red lentils,
  • 2 Tbsp. peanut oil
  • 1 cup crimini mushrooms
  • ½ cup shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ cup madeira
  • Chopped herbs, mixed:
    • 1 tsp thyme
    • 1 tsp tarragon
    • 1 Tbsp. chives
    • 1 Tbsp. parsley
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Lemon zest

Directions

  1. To make the soup, bring a medium-size saucepan of salted water to a boil.
  2. Drain the barley, add to the saucepan and cook until tender. In a separate pot of salted boiling water, add the lentils and cook until they are tender. Drain both and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until they give up some liquid, about 1 minute. Add shallots and the garlic and cook over medium heat until the pan is dry, about 6 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high, pour the Madeira into the pan, and quickly stir, loosening up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Reduce the heat and cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 mins.
  4. 4. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the reserved grains, the mushrooms, and half the fresh herbs with the mushroom stock. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick, add water, simmer briefly, and adjust the seasoning. Portion into individual cups; finish with lemon zest

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: ½ cup

Source: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa Valley, California

mushroom barley soup label

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