Mushroom Soup with Pearl Barley
A hearty vegetarian soup with wild mushrooms, pearl barley, and potatoes, finished with sour cream and fresh dill.
- Time
- 1 h
- Serving
- 393 kcal
- Ingredients
- ≈ $1.81
- Protein
- 13 g
Ingredients
- 1 Button mushrooms≈ $7.50 per kg 120 g
- 2 Pearl barleypack 800 g ≈ $2.80 40 g
- 3 Potatoes≈ $2.19 per kg 100 g
- 4 Carrots≈ $1.50 per kg 40 g
- 5 Onions≈ $1.60 per kg 40 g
- 6 Sour cream 15%pack 300 g ≈ $1.60 30 g
- 7 Butterpack 180 g ≈ $1.58 10 g
- 8 Dillpack 50 g ≈ $1.80 5 g
- 9 Bay leaves to taste
- 10 Salt 2 g
Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.
Method
Rinse the pearl2 barley and soak in boiling water for 20 minutes, then drain. Dice the onion5 and carrot4 into 0.5 cm cubes, the potatoes3 into 1 cm chunks, and slice the mushrooms into 0.5 cm thick pieces.
In a 2-liter pot, bring 1 liter of water to a boil, add the pearl2 barley, and simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat until partially tender, stirring occasionally.
While the barley cooks, melt the butter1 in a skillet and sauté the onion5 and carrot4 over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until soft and golden.
Add the mushrooms to the sauté and cook for another 5 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Transfer the sauté and potatoes3 to the pot with the barley, adding a bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes3 and barley are tender. Season with salt, then remove the bay leaf.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a dollop of sour6 cream, and sprinkle with finely chopped dill8. Serve hot.
Tips
- Why it works
- Soak barley in boiling water first to soften it faster and prevent a gummy texture. Skipping this makes it chewy even after long cooking.
- Substitutions
- Use 120g oats instead of barley for a quicker cook (15 minutes), but texture will be grainier. Replace sour cream with 30g Greek yogurt for tang without richness.
- Common mistakes
- Overcooking the potatoes turns them mushy and grayish; check doneness by piercing with a fork. It should slide in easily but not fall apart.
- Storing and reheating
- Stores 4 days in the fridge; reheat gently on low heat, stirring, until hot. Freeze without sour cream for 3 months; add cream fresh after thawing.
- Serve with
- Pair with crusty whole-grain bread and a simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil for a balanced lunch.
In short
- In the planner this dish is cooked for two days: reheat on day two.
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