Recipe: Mushroom Barley Soup

I love mushrooms. Love them. Mushrooms + Soup? Heaven!

I've made this recipe a few times over the last couple weeks and my, very meat eater friendly, husband asked for more the first time and then about a week later asked for me to make it again. Even the picky toddler likes this.

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. ground mustard powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (or 1-16 oz. can drained and rinsed)
2 pinches ground cumin
2 pinches paprika
2 pinches dried thyme
1 pinch dried rosemary
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch ground coriander
8 cups water
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best!)
2 veggie bullion cubes
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 cup pearled barley
2 packages mushrooms (I use one regular and one baby portobello), diced

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and mustard seeds, sauté until nicely browned, using a little water or veggie broth to keep from burning.

Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add in the chickpeas, spices and 2 cups of water and de-glaze the bottom of the pan.

With a potato masher or immersion blender, puree until it is mostly smooth (some whole beans and pieces of onion are fine).

Add the remaining 6 cups of water, and all other ingredients, and bring to a simmer for 30-40 minutes until the barley is cooked.

***On a personal note, as a professional photographer, I think a blog without pictures is just not fun...so I am making it a goal to photograph the recipes I make from now on. Hold me to it! ***