Mushroom Barley Soup

This earthy soup is one of my favorite winter lunches. I highly recommend homemade bread to go with…

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 lb. barley
9 cups vegetable broth
1 T salt
10 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I like baby bellas)
2 T soy sauce
2 dashes cayenne pepper
black pepper
olive oil

Saute the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in a bit of olive oil until the onion softens. Add the barley, salt, and broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and simmer another 25 minutes. Add the soy sauce, cayenne, and black pepper. Season to taste.

I couldn’t resist making one last batch before putting this recipe away for the season. It makes about 3 quarts, and it’s so filling, it’ll feed an army :)