KRUPNIK - Mushroom and Barley Soup

Amarante

Thu, Oct 08 2020, 11:36 am

This was a very good version of a classic recipe. Since I love parsnips, I knew I wanted to make this variation when I saw it. Really only need a salad. Since I made the pareve version and soup is a healthier choice, I could justify having my favorite butter based lemon Bundt cake for dessert. Very Happy

KRUPNIK - Mushroom and Barley Soup

Excerpt From: Janna Gur - Jewish Soul Food: From Minsk to Marrakesh, More Than 100 Unforgettable Dishes Updated for Today's Kitchen

This peasant soup is common in Russian and Polish cuisines, where it usually contains meat. In kosher households, it is usually prepared without meat (pareve), to make it suitable for all kinds of meals. Better yet, since it is pareve, you can serve it with a spoonful of sour cream, which makes it so much better. The dry porcini mushrooms compensate for wild forest mushrooms—the secret culinary treasure of Eastern European cuisines.

Serves 6 to 8

Small handful (½ ounce/15 g) dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 small or 1 large parsley roots or parsnips, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound (½ kilogram) white button mushrooms (caps only), thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 7 cups water
Bouquet garni: parsley, dill, and thyme, tied with a kitchen string
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup pearl barley, rinsed
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 cup sour cream or thick yogurt

1. Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for 40 minutes (or if you have time, soak for 2 hours in lukewarm water).

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the parsley roots, celery root, and carrots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Remove the porcini from the soaking liquid. Squeeze out the liquid from the mushrooms into the soaking liquid. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and reserve. Coarsely chop the rehydrated porcini. Add the button mushrooms and porcini mushrooms to the pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the water. Carefully pour in the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, making sure no sediment makes it into the pot. Add the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and barley and return to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the foam occasionally.

5. Season with nutmeg (if using), and more salt and pepper, if necessary. Leave covered for 15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

VARIATIONS

• Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill before serving.
• Replace some of the potatoes with cauliflower florets.
• Add 1 diced zucchini along with the barley and potatoes.