Mushroom Barley Soup (Creamy and Nutritious)

*Optional, soak the barley in a bowl of water for a few hours or even overnight to reduce the cooking time. If using quick cooking barley, skip this step
Finely dice the onion, celery sticks and garlic. Then grate the carrots using a box grater
Clean the mushrooms with damp paper towels, don't wash them underwater. Then dice half the mushrooms into small cubes and slice the remaining half into slices
In a large soup pot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the sliced mushrooms over medium - high heat. Once they've browned, season with salt and black pepper and transfer them to a plate and leave on the side for now
In the same pot add a 2nd tablespoon of olive oil, the onions, celery and chopped mushrooms. Saute for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until the mushrooms have browned and the veggies have softened, then season with salt and pepper
In the meantime, add the cannellini beans to a blender and blend into a puree. I like to also add the juice from the can, but you can drain the beans if you prefer
Add the garlic, grated carrots and rinsed barley to the pot and saute together for 1 minute
Add 2 cups of vegetable broth along with 2 cups of water and the blended cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper and stir together. Then place the lid on and simmer over low heat for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring it from time to time (cook time depends on the barley, so ensure to taste as you go)
Once the barley has cooked until tender and has a soft chewy bite, add the milk and the sliced mushrooms cooked earlier. Stir through until you have a nice creamy broth (if it's thickened up too much you can add additional water or broth to your preferred consistency)
To serve up your delicious Mushroom Barley Soup, add some chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!

Mushroom Barley Soup (Creamy and Nutritious)

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition