Thick and creamy mushroom barley soup goes well with crusty bread. This hearty Jewish deli soup is excellent!
– 1 ounce dried mushroom – 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed – salt and fresh cracked black pepper – 1 lb cremini mushroom – 4 Tbsp butter – 2 large shallots, minced, about a cup. – 1 cup finely sliced inner celery stalks (and leaves) – 1/4 cup dry sherry – 1/4 cup flour – 48 ounces chicken stock or vegetable broth – a sprig of fresh sage leave – 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce – 1 cup half and half or heavy cream (evaporated milk or cashew cream can also be used.) GARNISH – grated Parmesan cheese
Cover dried mushrooms with boiling water in a small bowl or container. Stir well and wait 30 minutes. Drain and coarsely cut mushrooms and keep aside.
The soaking water is flavorful and can be added to the soup after sediment is removed. Straining the liquid through a coffee filter to catch fine debris is ideal.
As the mushrooms soak, boil water with a teaspoon of salt. Carefully cook barley in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain.
Remove dirt from fresh mushrooms while barley cooks. Trim stem ends and slice half the mushrooms. Slice the other half thinly. Set aside.
Butter, shallots, and celery in a large Dutch oven or soup pot for two minutes. To dry and brown fresh and dried mushrooms, sauté 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Sherry should bubble and evaporate in the pan for a minute or two. Sprinkle flour into the pot and boil briefly.
Stir the chicken stock and fresh sage into the pan slowly. Stir frequently as the stock warms and thickens.
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Add cream and barley to the pan. Combine everything. Let simmer slightly covered for few minutes to blend flavours.
To make the flavours just right, give it a taste and then serve it with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and more freshly cracked black pepper.