Mushroom Barley Soup

4.67 from 6 votes

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A hearty cold-weather soup for mushroom lovers. Rich and satisfying (and also vegan)!

Bowl of Mushroom Barley Soup topped with green onions.

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. 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.

Three bowls of Mushroom Barley Soup.

A hearty vegetarian cold weather soup for mushroom lovers.

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What Type of Mushrooms to Use in Soup

You can absolutely use button mushrooms, 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.
  • 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.
Ladle scooping from a pot of Mushroom Barley Soup.

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!

Mushroom Barley Soup being scooped into a bowl.

How to Make the Best Mushroom Barley Soup

  1. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with 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.
  2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot, then saute the onions, garlic and thyme, and season with salt and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until tender and lightly browned and any liquid that they released has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the flour. Add broth and increase the heat to high. When the soup is simmering, add the bay leaves, uncooked barley, and dried mushrooms in their soaking liquid to the soup. Yes, you will be cooking the barley in the soup; no need to cook it first. And it will get more tender as it cooks but do keep an eye and stop cooking the barley before it’s overcooked. You want it just tender and ever so slightly chewy.
  4. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Add more water or broth if the soup is too thick. Serve hot, with scallions and parsley sprinkled on each serving if using.

Storage and Leftovers

If you make it ahead, 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 plain old water might be better to lighten things up a bit. Leftover mushroom barley soup will last for up to 4 days.

Three white bowls of Mushroom Barley Soup on a countertop.

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! A basket of hot rolls, Irish Soda Bread, or Beer Bread would also be lovely. Also, think about garlic bread; try: Best Garlic Bread Ever, Ranch Garlic Bread, Salsa Verde Garlic Bread, Chimichurri Garlic Bread, or Spinach Parsley Pesto Garlic Bread.

Cornbread is also a great companion: try Cheddar Cornbread, Molasses Cornbread, Easy Cornbread, Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread.

Bowl of Mushroom Barley Soup topped with green onions.

More Recipes With Mushrooms

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4.67 from 6 votes

Mushroom Barley Soup

A hearty cold-weather soup for mushroom lovers. Rich and satisfying (and also vegan)!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

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

What Type of Mushrooms to Use in Soup
You can absolutely use button mushrooms, 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.  
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 110mg, Potassium: 937mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 32IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 2mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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3 Comments

  1. 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!

    1. So odd! Some mushrooms contain a lot of water, so they may have released it into the soup. Thanks for noting.