Prep Time: 10 mins.

Cook Time: 50 mins.

I usually ask my husband to take me to this wonderful Persian grocery store where they sell all kinds of delicious food, including different types of vegan soups. I love tasting all the soups and I always, always, always end up getting the barley soup every single time. This annoys my husband to no end and is, for me, a great source of amusement. “Why do you bother the poor man behind the counter with all this soup sampling, only to get the same soup every single time?” He will call out in the market, clearly exasperated. I, as well as several other shoppers, find this hilarious. It is our regular routine, each Sunday in the early evening. They know us there.

So this weekend I decided to make it at home. Now that I consider myself a talented baker, what goes really well with fresh homemade bread? The answer, of course, is a bowl of hearty homemade soup.

This soup has body and texture and is filling.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients:

6 servings

1 cup barley

6 cups vegetable broth

1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup shredded/ diced carrots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups of fresh baby spinach

¼ cup red wine (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak barley overnight.

2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic; cook and stir until onions are tender and transparent.

3. Stir in mushrooms and wine and continue to cook for three minutes.

4. Pour in the broth and add barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until barley is tender, about 45 minutes.

5. Toss some of it into the food processor and add it back to thicken it up a little and make it creamier.

6. Stir in spinach; cook 5 minutes.

7. Season with salt and pepper before serving.