Ingredients

  • 1 ounce dried mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery rib, chopped
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 cups vegetable stock (see A Note About Stock)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Steps

  1. Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof measuring cup and cover with hot water. Let sit until softened. Drain, straining and reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, thinly slice the mushrooms, and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the barley, both kinds of mushrooms, the stock, the reserved mush-room liquid, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours. Taste to adjust the seasonings before serving. If a thinner soup is desired, add more stock.
  4. Serve garnished with the chives.

Robertson, Robin. Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are (p. 56). Harvard Common Press. Kindle Edition.