Zingerman's Ann Arbor Mushroom and Barley Soup

"When I first heard about Ari Weinzweig's delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I couldn't believe it. A deli in the home of my alma mater. It's not really a deli but more of an international food emporium like New York's Zabar's with a definite Jewish touch. Mr. Weinzweig, a drop-out Ph.D. candidate, has taken an academic and appetizing interest in updating Jewish recipes like mushroom and barley soup, going back in history to the nineteenth-century Eastern European version similar to that served at New York's Second Avenue Deli." - Joan Nathan.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery with leaves, diced
1/4 cup parsley
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound fresh porcini or other mushrooms
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth or water
1 cup whole barley
2 teaspoons salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for a half hour. Strain through a filter. Reserve the water.
2. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms.
3. Melt the margarine in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.
5. In a soup pot heat the broth or water. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring.
6. Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste.
7. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened, stirring often.
8. Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (P) or (M).

Recipe from: Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan.