Vegan MoFo: Mushroom and Barley Soup

Mushroom and Barley soup

(English)

Ok, no credit from my part here. This was entirely my mom’s doing. It’s been mega cold in Mexico lately, and we all want warm, hearty soups. This recipe comes from the Thanksgiving 1991 (!!) edition of Bon Appétit magazine. NOT vegan to start with but my omnivore mom veganized it all by herself, and not even for me, but for herself. Go, mom!

8 servings

1 lb         mushrooms

1/4 C       olive oil

1             onion, chopped

1             leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped

8 C          veggie broth

1 lb         white potatoes (about 2 large), peeled, diced

1             carrot, peeled, chopped

1/2 C       pearl barley

3             bay leaves

1. Separate mushroom stems from caps. Slice caps and set aside. Chop stems (Mom says this entire part she ignored and went ahead and sliced the mushrooms whole). 
2. Place olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and leek (and mushroom stems, if you’re going to follow the recipe) and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. 
3. Mix in veggie broth, potatoes, carrot, barley and bay leaves. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover soup, add mushrooms caps (or sliced, unseparated mushrooms, if you’re not following the recipe) and continue simmering until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. 
4. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve. A splash of sherry can be added to really warm the body.