Mushroom and Pearl Barley Soup

A rainy day in Andalucía means two sulky dogs, a grey sky over the village, and a pot of mushroom and pearl barley soup on the hob. This is proper autumn cooking — hearty, warming, and deeply satisfying. The kind of soup that makes a grey November day feel almost welcome.

Raiding the freezer — Casa Adora

Ingredients for Mushroom and Pearl Barley Soup

2L vegetable stock
Two handfuls pearl barley
Small handful dried mushrooms (re-hydrated)
A dozen white mushrooms, wiped and sliced
Onion, roughly chopped
Celery stick, chopped
Carrot, peeled and diced
Garlic clove, smashed
1T tomato purée
1T Dijon mustard
Parsley stalks, chopped
Parsley leaves
Sea salt and pepper

A note on the stock

Good stock makes all the difference here. I only had one litre of vegetable stock to hand, so I raided the freezer and found a tub of stock made from the ends of leeks, onion skins and carrot peelings a few weeks earlier. Topped up with the mushroom soaking liquid, it gave the soup a darker colour and a wonderful depth – one of those happy accidents that reminds you why keeping odds and ends in the freezer is always worth it. Use whatever you have; a good homemade stock or a quality shop-bought one will both work well.

A note on the mushrooms

The combination of dried and fresh mushrooms is what gives this soup its earthy intensity. The dried mushrooms, once rehydrated, bring a concentrated umami richness that fresh mushrooms alone can't quite match. Don't discard the soaking liquid — strain it through a fine sieve and add it to the pot for extra depth.

Fry the onion, carrot and celery in a little olive oil and butter until softened. Turn heat down, then add garlic, parsley stalks, mushrooms and barley; stir, making sure everything is coated in oil, and cook for a minute or two. Add the purée and mustard and stir to combine. Turn heat up and add stock, bringing things up to a boil. When a rolling boil is reached, turn down heat to simmer for 40 minutes.

Season and taste.

Allow to cool a little, then blitz, but keep a few chunks so that it is not completely smooth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley.

It was delicious and definitely an autumn soup.

Tips and variations

Pearl barley gives this soup a wonderfully thick, almost stew-like texture after blitzing. If you prefer a thinner consistency, hold back a little of the stock and add it after blending until you reach the texture you want.

This is also a flexible recipe in the truest sense. Made with vegetable stock, this soup is fully vegetarian – and vegan too if you swap the butter for olive oil. Add a handful of spinach or kale at the end for extra greenery. A splash of cream stirred through before serving adds richness if you fancy something a little more indulgent.

The two sulky dogs, incidentally, were not impressed. More of a biscuit crowd.

This mushroom and pearl barley soup is part of my Soup Recipes collection – from chilled gazpacho to hearty broths and Asian-inspired bowls.
It also features in my Veggie & Vegan Recipes, Gut Health Recipes, Resistant Starch Recipes and Mushroom Recipes collections.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef