Lenten Mushroom Barley Soup with Peppers
A fasting mushroom-barley pot thickened by pearl barley, with red and green peppers cooked down with the onion. Dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid carry the broth so there is no need for cream or meat stock.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini or mixed forest mushrooms
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (cremini, button, or mixed)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 8 cups water or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley
Instructions
Soak the dried mushrooms in the boiling water for 20 minutes. Lift them out, chop them, and strain the soaking liquid through a cloth or coffee filter. Save the liquid.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Cook the onion and both peppers with a pinch of salt until the onion is golden and the peppers have softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until they give up their liquid and start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and paprika and cook 1 minute.
Add the barley, broth, reserved mushroom liquid, soaked mushrooms, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered until the barley is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Add water if it gets too thick.
Stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves.
Finish with dill or parsley. Serve hot with rye or black bread.
Notes
Orthodox fasting: plant foods only, olive oil permitted. On oil-free days, skip the saute and simmer the onion, peppers, and mushrooms in a splash of broth until soft before adding the rest. The soup thickens as it sits; thin with water when reheating. Pearl barley cooks faster than hulled barley; hulled needs closer to an hour. Do not finish the bowl with dairy.