Most soup bases involve onion, celery and carrot. I dislike carrots. I fully admit that this soup could very well benefit from the addition of carrots but I refuse to put them in. I know, I'm setting a poor example for my future children. Of course, in an act of parental rebellion, they will probably love carrots.
This soup relies on mushrooms to flavor it. Celery and leeks are sauteed in a big pot while the mushrooms are cooked in a separate pan (probably unnecessary to cook them separately; I did it for no apparent reason). The cooked mushrooms with all of their liquid and a clove of chopped garlic are added to the big pot. Salt and pepper are added at every step. Then a generous half-cup of pearl barley is added (it was probably closer to 3/4 cup).
About four cups of liquid is added (here, two cups of chicken broth and two cups of water). Brought to a boil then covered and simmered under reduced heat for about 45 minutes to an hour until the barley softens. The barley thickens the soup so depending on if I want more broth-y soup, I will add more liquid.
At the end, I added some parsley (previously frozen with some pesto) and dried thyme (which goes really well with mushrooms).
More salt and pepper to taste.
Great served with some crusty, toasted bread or sandwich. What better to accompany my sandwich obsession than soup?
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