Ingredients
- ¼ cup (10 grams) dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 8 ounces (230 grams) button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup (200 grams) pearl barley
- ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh dill for serving
Instructions
- Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup (240 ml) of warm water for 30 minutes or until tender. Roughly chop the mushrooms. Strain the liquid to remove any sediment and set aside with the mushrooms.
- Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook the mushrooms until they have released their liquid, the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned (about 15 minutes). Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
- Heat another tablespoon of butter and add the onion to the pot. Cook until the onion begins to turn slightly golden brown (15 minutes). You can reduce the heat to medium-low if it’s cooking too fast.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Return the mushrooms to the pot. Stir in the rehydrated porcini mushrooms, reserved soaking water, vegetable broth, paprika and barley. Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 40-50 minutes or until the barley is just tender.
- Season with salt to taste, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Stir in the sour cream and garnish with dill.