Mushroom Barley Vegetable Soup

Delicious savory Mushroom Barley Vegetable Soup is a take of Polish Mushroom Barley soup (also called Krupnik). This is an EASY prep winter recipe, but fits right into a cool autumn or spring atmosphere too. Because it doesn’t contain meat, fish, or milk derivatives, it’s a perfect side dish to a meat, fish, or milk protein main dish. For vegans, a braised or grilled main soy dish will do it justice.

Lazy Sundays

Vegan Mushroom Barley Vegetable Soup is great for a laid back Lazy Sunday atmoshphere. Saute the freshly sliced mushrooms and enjoy the sounds of sizzling as the umami particles lift into the air, creating a savory fragrance. Slice Vegetables and Pearl Barley with serenity. Toss them in with the mushrooms until the kitchen fills with sweet aromas;

Or, in a noisy kitchen full of family, put everyone to work as you sit on the side and pretend to be conducting the orchestra. Prepare yourself your favorite drink, then sip it slowly and smile to yourself as you relax before the long week that awaits.

Mom

My first Vegan Mushroom Barley Soup encounter was in my mother’s kitchen. Unfortunately, I never asked her if she grew up on this soup in Chicago, or if she learned how to make it from a friend whilst living in the Mediterranean area. Too bad. I should have asked her about dishes she grew up on too. How we take “time” for granted.

Mushroom Barley Vegetable Soup

This recipe is based on my mom’s Mushroom Barley soup. Its aromas really take me back. Smooth (and a bit chewy) textures join the fragrance of celery and the umami flavor of the mushrooms, and what you end up with is UTTER BLISS, especially on a cold winter’s day.

Twists

My twist is the additional vegetables I add for an extra nutritious and filling side dish to accompanty fish, meat or chicken.

Another difference is the Mediterranean-Middle Eastern-Central Asian, and some European kitchens style of pre-sauteing of the ingredients.

The Mediterranean Way

I think that a lot of Western dream-cooking involves tossing items into a pot together, cooking them in a liquid, and you’re all set. Would you agree, or beg to differ?

As for Mediterranean cooks, some open up the cooking scene with the sauteing of an chopped onions. Alternatively, I had a friend who always started her soups by pre-sauteing fresh garlic.

Mushroom Barley Vegetable Soup – Here’s how it goes…

The preparation is really simple. You chop the veggies, slice and saute the fresh mushrooms (canned is fine), just make sure to squeeze out as much water as possible so the oil extracts their flavors into the pot. If the mushrooms are too wet, they will cook and not be pre-sauteed. As mentioned above, pre-sauteing really brings the ingredients’ flavors into play.

My Fovorite Soup

I love soup, and I love all soups that I prepare. That’s the benefit of being the cook. So, as always, I’ll say that this recipe is one of my favorite soups. But they are all really my favorite.

Here’s another vegan take of Krupnik:

Hearty Tomato Mushroom Barley Soup

And yet another Mushroom Barley soup with tomatoes:

Mushroom Barley Tomato Soup On A Tight Schedule