Fall is here.....Time for Soup

The fall season is one of my favorites because it's time for soup.  Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of soup.  I have a good arsenal of soups and now that I have a big stand up freezer, my cauldron will be used often.

I decided today that I would make a batch of Mushroom Barley.  I like to double this recipe because it gives me a nice bowl for that day, and two bowls for the week in addition to the two servings I freeze.

I got this recipe from the Culinary Institutes book of Soups.  Its a great source for soups as I've made many from here.

It calls for the following:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion finely diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 carrot finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 celery stalk (about 1/2 cup)
1 parsnip finely diced (about 1/3 cup) it says this ingredient is optional but I have never made this soup without it.
3 cups of sliced mushrooms ( I use the regular white mushrooms)
2 Quarts of Chicken Broth ( I use Swanson's)
3/4 cup pearl barley
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley ( I never add it)
2 Tbsp dry sherry or sherry wine vinegar ( I never add it)

Now remember that these are the regular amounts.  I double this recipe.

Start by heating oil in a soup pot till it shimmers.
add onions and saute  till they are golden brown (about 10 minutes)
Then add carrots, celery, parsnip, and mushrooms and stir to mix with onion and cover for 3-4 min.

Uncover and mix again, then add Chicken Broth and barley.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.

Now I usually cook it for another 15 mins.  I like my soup thicker so this almost overcooks the barley making it a little bit starchy and it reduces a little bit as well to thicken up and bold up the flavor.

This batch turned out real great and will enjoy it this week and down the road from the freezer.   I hope you can enjoy it too.  Look forward in the future to other fun hearty soups.