Preparation Time: ½ hour
Cooking Time: 1 hour
1 cup pearl barley*
1 quart beef broth
(organic is good; in
a pinch look for broth with the least chemicals)
½ pound mushrooms
Cook’s choice. I
used baby Bellas. Clean them with a wet paper towel. Cut off the tough end of
the root. Slice them on the diagonal.
1 cup peeled, chopped onion
1 cup peeled, diced carrots (about 3-4)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or sliced thinly
water
salt and pepper, to taste
- Put barley, beef broth, mushrooms onion, carrots and garlic in a soup pot and simmer for one hour. I did not cover it. Checked it out and stirred occasionally. Add water at the end, if soup is too thick. Salt and pepper to taste.
*The barley does need some
attention. I remembered what my mother
did with it when she made vegetable soup.
Because the barley (as in a careless deli soup) can be gluey. Put the cup of barley in a 2 cup measurer,
cover with water, stir, pour off the water. Repeat 3 times. Then, put the barley in a quart container,
cover with 3 cups water and let let stand overnight. Refrigeration is not
necessary.
