Cream of Barley Soup

1/3 cup barley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large or 2 medium onions, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large leek (about 1/4 pound), white part only, diced and rinsed
1 large carrot, grated
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup sour cream (can be reduced-fat)

1/3 cup barley
1 leek, white part only, halved, then slivered lengthwise into pieces about 3 inches long
2 tablespoon butter
6 shiitake or other favorite mushrooms, thinly sliced

Cover 1/3 cup barley with hot water and set it aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a soup pot over medium heat until foaming.  Add the onion and oregano, give a stir, and cook for 5 minutes.  Then add the leek, carrot, and garlic.  Cook for 10 minutes more, by which time a glaze will have formed on the bottom of the pan.  Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Drain the 1/3 cup barley and add it to the pot along with the 6 cups water.  Cook until the barley is soft, about 30 minutes, then puree the soup with the sour cream until smooth.  Return the soup to the pot, taste for salt, and season with pepper.  If it is too thick for your taste, add extra water or stock.

Rinse the remaining 1/3 cup barley, put it in a saucepan, and cover generously with water.  Add a little salt and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.  Drain and keep warm.  Simmer the leek in salted water until tender; after 5 minutes or so, drain, and toss in a little butter.  Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and saute over medium-high heat until golden, about 5 minutes.  If the pan looks really dry, as it can with shiitake mushrooms, and 1/2 cup water and cook until the liquid is absorbed  and the mushrooms have browned.

Serve the soup with a spoonful or two of the cooked barley in each bowl, the leeks and mushrooms piled on top, and a final twist of the peppermill.


From Vegetable Soups by Deborah Madison