In the headline I used the word “mushroom.” But in Estonia, when we are talking about mushrooms, we mean forest and/or wild mushrooms: milk mushrooms, russulas, chanterelles… As Estonia has an abundance of forests, we like to pick berries and mushrooms.
This is very simple mushroom soup. If you believe that barley takes too much time to cook, replace it with rice. [EE: And if you’re not feeling up to wild mushroom picking, don’t worry! You can use mushrooms from a farmer’s market or grocery store.]
Note: I use frozen mushrooms. They do not need any additional cooking, as they are already prepared. All you need to do is heat the mushrooms in a skillet until the water has evaporated and add butter. Then you pour the mixture into containers and freeze them.
In autumn, when you use fresh mushrooms, blanch them, and depending on the mushrooms, remove blanching water and add mushrooms into the soup.
Servings: 4 to 6
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
– 1/2 a glass of barley groats
– 1 to 2 onions
– 200 to 400 g of mushrooms
– 1 tomato
– 4 to 5 potatoes
– oil
-6 cups of water or vegetable/beef broth
– salt, pepper, dill
Directions
1. In a medium pot, bring the 6 cups of salted water or broth to a boil. Add the barley groats, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the groats begin to soften.
2. While the barley simmers, heat the oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and any excess moisture has evaporated. Stir in the chopped tomato last, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes just until softened.
3. Add the diced potatoes and the sautéed mushroom mixture into the pot with the simmering barley and broth.
4. Cover and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the barley is completely soft.
5. Serve with sour cream and add a lot of dill.
