Election Day Soup

It was downright cold today. When I left home this morning (to go vote on my way to work!) I worried that I was breaking out the wool coat too early. But no. It was definitely cold out there.  Perfect weather for soup. And it just so happened that I had planned to try out a recipe for Mushroom Barley Soup from this month’s Food & Wine. (Side note: I only recently started subscribing to Food & Wine—thanks to a six issues for $6 special I got in the mail a few months back—and I have to say it is quickly becoming my favorite food magazines. High quality content, all around).

The recipe, particularly as originally written, could not have been simpler. Simply bring a pot of veggies, barley, and beef broth to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. I was a little skeptical as to how a seemingly scant amount of boiled vegetables would amount to a tasty soup so I upped the quantities added some leftover butternut squash from the  two pound behemoth we cut up for risotto on Saturday and sautéed the veggies before adding the broth and barley. Overall the recipe yielded a light and flavorful soup.  I definitely would recommend adding some additional vegetables to make it a little heartier. And Jason said he wouldn’t mind some additional barley so next time we might up to ¾ cup. Otherwise, an easy weeknight meal perfect for watching the election results (or not) this cold November evening.

Mushroom Barley Soup
Adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients:
1 TBL olive oil
½ onion, diced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 cup diced butternut squash (left over from when we cut up a whole squash for risotto on Saturday)
1 8-ounce container for cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper
6 cups of beef stock
½ cup barley

1.Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven. Add onion, celery, carrot, and butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften (about 5-7 minutes).
2.Add mushrooms and toss. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Add barley, reduce heat to moderately low and partially cover. Cook until barley and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.