Mushroom Barley Soup
on Feb 18, 2022, Updated Oct 11, 2024
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A rich, hearty cold-weather soup for mushroom lovers, made with a combo of dried and fresh mushrooms. Use vegetable broth for a vegan/vegetarian soup.
This soup is for serious mushroom lovers, dense and satisfying. It’s more like a stew, actually, totally crammed with mushrooms and those lovely chewy nubs of barley. In fact, this is the most mushroom-heavy mushroom barley soup I’ve ever made. With a mix of rehydrated dried mushrooms and fresh mushrooms, this soup is an umami flavor festival. Use vegetable broth, and it’s vegetarian and, in fact, also vegan! Perfect for a chilly night, and it reheats like a dream.
This is the best mushroom barley soup recipe ever; a family favorite. It’s one of the recipes I must make when a kid comes home from school. It’s also our Thanksgiving lunch every year (see this big old collection of vegan Thanksgiving recipes!), robust enough to fill you up but still leave room for a big meal later in the day. Serve with Irish Soda Bread, Spinach Parsley Pesto Garlic Bread, or Molasses Cornbread.
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The best Mushroom Barley Soup recipe: A hearty vegetarian cold weather soup for mushroom lovers.
Mushroom Barley Soup Ingredients
- Dried porcini mushrooms – Add an extra layer of umami that sets this soup apart.
- Hot water – The hot water will rehydrate the dried mushrooms.
- Olive oil – A little bit to saute the aromatics.
- Onion and garlic – These aromatics are sauteed to form the lovely base of this soup.
- Thyme – A nice herbal note.
- Salt and black pepper – To taste.
- Fresh mushrooms – Any type will work. Read more about it below.
- All-purpose flour – Helps thicken and give body to the soup.
- Chicken or vegetable broth – You can use either chicken or vegetable broth, but make sure to use veggie broth if you want the soup to be vegan/vegetarian.
- Bay leaves – Add an earthy level of flavor, but be sure to remove them before serving.
- Pearl barley – This is what transforms this soup into a hearty meal.
- Scallions and chopped fresh parsley – This garnish adds a bright and fresh pop.
What Type of Mushrooms to Use in Mushroom Barley Soup
You can absolutely use button mushrooms (Kim Severson of the NYT loves them), available packaged in every supermarket, but many markets are also now carrying a wide range of the more exotic varieties, either packaged or in bulk. You can combine as many different types as you like in this recipe.
- Creminis: Also known as baby portobellos, these are widely available and very sturdy. They are still mild in flavor but a bit more interesting than plain old button mushrooms.
- Portobellos: This mushroom is actually a very mature button mushroom with a fully grown-out cap. The portobello has a meaty texture, great for grilling, and portobello “burgers” are a vegetarian’s good friend come summertime. Chop them for this soup.
- Shiitake: This is a favorite of mine, often called for in Asian recipes. They are savory and meaty and have a lot of umami punch.
The dried mushrooms add another layer of mushroom flavor, as does the liquid they are soaked with. You can use any type of dried mushroom here, from chanterelle to porcini to shiitake to oyster to portobello to a mix—there are some nice dried mushroom blends on the market. Try dried morels, too, for a really special treat!
How to Make the Best Mushroom Barley Soup
- Rehydrate the mushrooms: Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms and return them to the soaking liquid.
- Simmer the soup: Sauté the onions, garlic, and thyme until tender. Add the fresh mushrooms. Stir in the flour. Add the broth and allow the soup to come to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, uncooked barley, and dried mushrooms in their soaking liquid to the soup. Cook until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes.
- Serve: Top with parsley and scallions and enjoy hot!
Storage and Leftovers
If you make this mushroom soup ahead of time, or if you have leftovers, you will notice that it continues to thicken when it cools, especially when refrigerated. The barley and even the mushrooms will keep absorbing the liquid, so you’ll want to add more liquid when you reheat it.
You could add more broth (again, vegetarian broth makes this a vegan soup), but the flavors are pretty rich and deep, so it gets concentrated. Plain old water might be better to lighten things up a bit.
Leftover mushroom barley soup will last for up to 4 days. It also freezes beautifully. Freeze it in freezer-proof containers for up to 6 months, leaving about 1/2-inch headroom in the container for the soup to expand when it freezes.
What To Serve with Mushroom Barley Soup
A nice crusty loaf of good bread is an amazing companion for mushroom barley soup, to dunk and then swipe up every last delicious drop! Or try these recipes!
More Recipes with Mushrooms
- Sesame Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms
- Pork Schnitzel with Sautéed Mushrooms
- Chicken with Mushrooms in Cream Sauce
- Creamy Mushrooms with Marsala Crostini
- Braised Chicken, Mushrooms and Baby Artichokes
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Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (or other dried mushrooms of choice)
- 1 cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 10 cups sliced and roughly chopped fresh mushrooms (any type)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 cups less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (or more as needed)
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup pearl barley
- Sliced scallions and chopped fresh parsley (to garnish; optional)
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with the hot water. Let soak for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and finely chop the soaked mushrooms. Return them to the soaking liquid.
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and stir until they have become tender and lightly browned and any liquid that they released has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and stir for one minute until it blends into the mushrooms. Add broth and increase the heat to high. When the soup is simmering, add the bay leaves, barley, and dried mushrooms in their soaking liquid to the soup. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add more water or broth if the soup is too thick. Check the seasonings towards the end and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve hot, with scallions and parsley sprinkled on each serving if using.
Notes
- Creminis: Also known as baby portobellos, these are widely available and very sturdy. They are still mild in flavor but a bit more interesting than plain old button mushrooms.
- Portobellos: This mushroom is actually a very mature button mushroom with a fully grown-out cap. The portobello has a meaty texture, great for grilling, and portobello “burgers” are a vegetarian’s good friend come summertime.
- Shiitake: This is a favorite of mine, often called for in Asian recipes. They are savory and meaty and have a lot of umami punch.
This is on the menu for tonight! Can’t wait to try this soup! Thanks for sharing Katie
I made this recipe and while very mushroomy tasting, it was very watery! It didn’t look anything like the accompanying photos. I would definitely cut back on the broth!
So odd! Some mushrooms contain a lot of water, so they may have released it into the soup. Thanks for noting.