Best Recipe for Mushroom and Barley Soup
Rich, hearty, and savory, this best recipe for mushroom and barley soup relies on several umami ingredients, including dried porcini mushrooms and their reserved liquid, to make it anything but boring. And it tastes even better the longer it sits!
Recipe Mood: Cozy Comfort
Indulgence Level: Low
Effort Level: Easy
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Like me, are you sometimes underwhelmed by mushroom and barley soup? Don’t get me wrong: I love mushrooms (like this creamy shell pasta with zucchini and mushrooms), I love barley, and I love soup.
But creating the best recipe for mushroom and barley soup was a little challenging because it always seemed to lack flavor.
It was after making a few variations that I found that beef stock, a dash of smoked paprika, a splash of Worcesestherire sauce, and—the highlight—dried porcini mushrooms give this classic soup the punch it needs.
Like most soups, this one tastes even better leftover, and every spoonful is hearty, earthy, and oh-so delicious. It works well as a warm-up to a larger meal, but you can certainly make it the main by serving larger portions of it.
Why You’ll Love This Best Recipe for Mushroom and Barley Soup
Layered flavors: The earthy dried porcini, golden cremini, Worcestershire sauce, and smoked paprika make this soup savory and taste like it simmered all day.
Nourishing and satisfying: Nutritious barley and veggies, along with umami-packed beef broth, make this a comforting one-pot meal that feels nourishing without being heavy.
Great for make-ahead meals: The flavors of this soup deepen over time and make it even more delicious the next day.
Key Ingredients
- Dried Porcini Mushrooms: Dried porcini mushrooms elevate this soup to the next level, and I highly recommend including them.
- Beef Broth: Unlike vegetable and chicken broth, beef broth gives this mushroom soup more body and concentrated flavor.
- Smoked Paprika: This helps deepen the flavor even more.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Same as the previous ingredients, Worcestershire builds on the other savory add-ins.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to Make This Recipe
- Soak mushrooms: Cover porcini mushrooms in a bowl with hot water; let soak for 15 minutes. Lift them out, pat dry on a paper towel, and strain the soaking liquid through a mesh sieve (set over another bowl) to catch sediment. Pour the reserved liquid into a 2-cup measuring cup and fill the rest with water. Set both mushrooms and reserved liquid aside.
- Cook mushrooms: Cook the porcini and cremini mushrooms in olive oil until golden. Salt them.
- Sauté veggies: Cook celery, carrot, and onion with salt and pepper until softened. Add the garlic near the end and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, thyme stems, and bay leaves, and stir continuously for 30 seconds.
- Pour in liquid: Add the broth and reserved porcini liquid/water. Bring to a boil, then add the barley.
- Simmer: Reduce the liquid to a simmer, cover, and cook the barley for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Finish: Garnish with thyme and parsley.
Pro Tips
Cover pot when cooking pearled barley: This will prevent the liquid from evaporating, so it remains soupy enough after the barley is fully cooked.
Variations & Substitutions
-Use pearled barley instead of quick pearled barley. Just note that it will take longer to cook, so keep more liquid on hand if needed.
-Use any type of mushroom you like. Shiitake, oyster, or a gourmet mix are all solid options. The only mushrooms I don’t recommend using are white buttons, as they may not be flavorful enough.
-Replace beef broth with vegetable or chicken broth/stock.
-To make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth and omit the Worcestershire sauce (if it contains anchovies).
-Replace the onion with shallots.
-Garnish with scallions or chives for a bright, oniony finish.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, and this soup tastes even better the next day.
No soaking is necessary for pearled barley. Just rinse it first under cold water.
I prefer to salt as I cook, when a recipe makes that possible, because it helps the salt meld with the ingredients and enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Defrost the soup in the fridge, and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Soup & Stew Recipes
- Easy chorizo and lentil stew with potatoes (lentejas)
- Tuscan onion soup with poached egg
- Italian zucchini soup
- Comforting Italian lentil soup with pasta
- Nourishing barley lentil soup with fire roasted tomatoes
- Turkey orzo soup with gremolata
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Best Recipe for Mushroom and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 cups reserved porcini liquid + water See recipe instructions
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin oilive oil divided (2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons)
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 and ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided (½ teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper
- 2 celery ribs sliced thinly
- 1 carrot peeled and sliced thinly
- ½ large yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Worsteshire sauce
- 4-5 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- ¾ cups quick pearled barley rinsed (Note 1)
- Thyme minced
- Flat-leaf Italian parsley minced
Instructions
- Soak porcini in very hot or boiling water for 15 minutes, using just enough water to cover them. Remove the porcini individually and place them on a paper towel to absorb excess water. Pour the liquid from the bowl through a mesh strainer set over another bowl. The mesh strainer will catch any sediment, and the bowl underneath will fill with the reserved porcini liquid.
- Pour the reserved porcini liquid into a 2-cup measuring cup. Fill the rest with water until you have 2 cups. For example, if the porcini liquid amounts to ½ cup, fill the remaining 1 and ½ cups with water.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-low to medium heat. Cook the cremini mushrooms and softened porcini mushrooms for about 10 minutes or until golden, stirring often. Season them with ½ teaspoon salt and transfer the mushrooms to a plate. Cover and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and toss in the celery, carrot, onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes, until softened, stirring often. Add the garlic during the last 3 minutes or so of cooking time.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, Worsteshire sauce, thyme stems, and bay leaves, and stir continuously for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the beef broth and reserved porcini liquid/water mixture. Bring to a boil, then stir in the barley and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the barley for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
- Return the mushrooms to the pot and heat through for a minute or two. Remove the thyme stems, and finish the soup with fresh thyme leaves and parsley. Enjoy!
I made this soup to serve the next day, and it was incredible!