INGREDIENTS
1 Large onion
3 Celery stalks
¼ Cup chopped fresh parsley
4 Cups assorted mushrooms (baby bellas, crimini, chanterelle etc…)
1 Cup pearled barley 32 oz. of stock (chicken or veggie will work) plus enough to boil the barley (about 2 cups)
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons of garlic seasoning
1 Teaspoon of Cajun or blackening seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Bring a small pot of the stock to a boil and add barley. Reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer until tender. It won’t need to be drained, as the stock will be absorbed by the time the cooking process is complete (roughly 12- 15 min).
Roughly chop mushrooms and set aside. Dice onion, parsley and celery and sauté in a large soup pot with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and cajun spices. Once onions are translucent and celery tender, add in the mushrooms and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Once the mushrooms are soft and the water from them is extracted, add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil – Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a blender, blend the soup until it’s the texture you want.
Once the soup is blended to a smooth and creamy consistency, add the cooked barley and stir thoroughly and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve with some good crusty bread or parmesan crisps as a garnish.