Borscht!

Day 20: Blood Red

So vampires are all the rage these days, right. And what looks more like eating blood soup than beet soup. And what's a better way to prepare beets than that classic communist concoction, borscht! The best part is I didn't even have to make it. Maybe its cheating, but after 19 days of cooking soup I was glad to have a night off. Our friend Leah (the in shape one) invited us over to borscht night and it was a surprising treat. Sweet and savory, bright and warm its no wonder 300 million people survived on it. This recipe is from the cookbook, The Soup Bible:

Borscht!

1 onion chopped
3 cups peeled, chopped beets
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 large apple, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

2 1/4 quarts stock
1 tsp ground cumin
Punch of dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chopped vegetables and apple in a large saucepan with the butter, oil, and 3 tbsp stock. Cover and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Stir in the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining stock, thyme, bay leave, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, cover the pan and lower the heat to a slow simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Strain the veggies and reserve the liquid. Process the vegetables in a food processor until smooth. Return the processed veggies to the rinsed pan and add reserved stock and reheat. Check seasoning and serve with a garnish of sour cream.

Jay review:

4 yums (out of 5)! Much better than FD&C Red No. 32!

Curried Carrot Soup

Day 19: Holy Carotene, Batman!

Tonight, Jay and I watched Julie & Julia and have both decided that while Julia is pretty damn cool, Julie left us unimpressed. No need to trash talk her (there has apparently been well enough of that over the blogosphere in general) but what did impress us was that she cooked 524 French recipes in 365 days and somehow managed to retain a full time job and not get fat. I mean, seriously. If I cooked and ate like that I would probably weigh 365 lbs at the end of the 365 days. So no Pâté de Canard en Croûte for us, instead we have soup. Yes, more soup. Today its more carrot soup, this time an Indian spiced carrot soup. To come up with this recipe I combined about three - two of which were sent by friend Erica (keep em coming guys):

Curried Carrot Soup

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

2 tbsp curry power

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp coriander

a pinch to 1 tsp red pepper flakes (depends on the spice in your curry)

1/2 granny smith apple, diced

3 cups carrots, peeled and sliced

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup milk or nonfat plain yogurt

1 tbsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot heat ghee over medium heat and add onions and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add spices, ginger, garlic and apple and cook for 4-5 minutes longer until everything is evenly browned and the spices are aromatic. Add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until the carrots are very soft. Take off heat and blend soup with an immersion blender or food processor. Add milk, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. I served with naan - recommended.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5)!. He doesn't want to add anything else (it is day 19)

African Peanut Stew

Day 18: Groundnuts are Good

So since I started this endeavor I have had on my mind that I wanted to do something involving peanut butter and sweet potatoes. The inspiration for this is a dish called Veggie Groundnut from a favorite local spot Pan Africa Market. I used to work around the corner from this place and it is so good, Jay used to walk the 10 minutes walk from his office to mine to join me for lunch. When he does he always orders the veggie groundnut which is, served over rice, comprised of sweet potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers lathered with a peanut sauce. I looked through my various cookbooks for an African Peanut Soup and found nothing. It wasn't until my friend Eva sent me a recipe found on allrecipes.com that I reinvigorated my search. I found another recipe on a fat free vegan website (fat free my ass - it has peanut butter... but whatever), that seemed to fit the bill. I, of course, altered it a bit to suit. Of course this is more of a stew than a soup, but I decided that was allowable:

African Peanut Stew

2 tbsp canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, minced

3-4 cloves garlic. minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp red pepper flakes, more if desired

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes, in juice

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in cubes

2 cups chickpeas, cooked

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

2 cups frozen green beans

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot heat canola oil over medium heat. Cook onions and jalapenos for 5-6 minutes until onions are translucent. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes to release aromas. Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, broth and peanut butter. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a slow simmer and cook 30-40 minutes until potatoes are soft. Add green beans and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. If you like a spicier dish you can always add more red pepper flakes. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Jay's review:

4.5 yums (out of 5)! One of the best stews ever!

Roasted Corn and Pepper Soup

Day 17: Sugar and Spice

On Monday nights I go to an aerobic kickboxing class at my gym which is conveniently located next to a Trader Joe's. This means I am totally beat but I also have the Trader Joe's right there if I need anything. Our TJ's carries a surprisingly good frozen roasted corn, so I tried a soup with it as the centerpiece. What resulted was a sort of southwestern corn soup. It was sweet and spicy (which can be mediated by using less jalapeno seeds), smooth yet chunky, and very very easy to prepare. If you had more time you could try roasting the pepper before adding:

Roasted Corn and Pepper Soup

2 tbsp canola oil

1 med red onion diced

3 jalapeno peppers, minced (seeded if desired)

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced

1 tsp cumin

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups frozen roasted corn

1 cup chopped canned green chilies

1/2 cup lowfat milk

juice of 1/2 a lime

salt and pepper to taste

sliced avocado

shredded pepperjack cheese

In a large soup pot heat oil over medium high heat. Cook onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers, stirring occasionally for 8-9 minutes until the onions are soft. Add cumin and cook for 2 minutes more. Add chicken broth, frozen corn, and green chilies and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until everything is cooked. Reserve 2 cups of the soup and blend the rest, using and immersion blender or a food processor. Add back the reserved soup and add milk. Season with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a garnish of sliced avocado, cheese, and a few warmed tortillas.

Jay's review:

4.5 yums (out of 5)! Smokey jalapeno!

Pasta e fagioli

Day 16: Fagioli Again

A rainy Seattle day combined with finally getting to those domestic tasks I have had on the to do list meant I wanted something really simple and basic for this meal. Pasta with beans (pasta e fagioli) is a traditional meatless Italian soup that is hearty and cheap. This variation did not include tomatoes, instead relies on the strong flavor of rosemary and garlic. It turned out quite nicely along side a rosemary loaf from Essential Baking Co:

Pasta e fagioli

2 cups dried white beans (great northern or cannellini), soaked overnight

6 cups water

1 head garlic, whole, top 1/2" cut off

3 fresh sage leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups dried whole wheat pasta (rotini or elbow)

2 tsp dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot bring 6 cups water, soaked beans, the head of garlic, and sage leaves and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours until beans are fully cooked. Turn off heat and allow beans to rest in the water while you do the remaining. In a soup pot heat olive oil and cook onions, celery, carrots and garlic until onions are translucent. Add rosemary and cook 2-3 more minutes. Add broth and pasta and bring to boil. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Add beans and cooking liquid. Take off heat, salt and pepper to taste.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5)! Beans and pasta = great!

Clam and Smoked Salmon Chowder

Day 15: This is what you get for working out

The last time I made chowder (corn chowder) I was very impressed/alarmed. The recipe literally started with cooking bacon in butter, and ended with adding cream and cheese. Needless to say I have severely limited my consumption of anything attached to the label of "chowder" ever since. That said, I knew I needed to pay homage to this classic soup at some point in my 31 days so I waited till I felt like Jay and I fully deserved this decadence. Last night we participated in our first boxing fitness class at a local boxing gym frequented by our (apparently very in shape) friend. It pretty much kicked our butts, but on the plus side it opened up a window of gluttony on the weekly soup sched. We don't live in the Northeast anymore though both of us have payed our dues there, so I wanted to try something that pays homage to both maritime traditions. I found my answer in a lovely cookbook that encourages locovorism here in the Northwest, The Farm to the Table Cookbook. I altered the recipe slightly, omitting the bacon, increasing the smoked salmon, and replacing parsley with scallions; but on the whole the recipe and instructions remained largely the same. I have to say this has been one of my favorites. As it turns out animal fat tastes good. I mean really good. Thank god I worked my butt off (literally) to deserve it...

Clam and Smoked Salmon Chowder

25 manila clams, in shell

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups good quality broth

3 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

4 scallions, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

4 tbsp flour

2 cups half and half

2 dried bay leaves

2 tsp dried sage

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced (about 3 cups)

5 oz smoked keta salmon, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Tabasco (optional)

Rinse clams thoroughly in cold water. In a soup pot heat white wine to a boil. Place clams in the boiling wine and cover. Cook until the clams have fully opened and remove. Set aside to cool. Let the wine and clam juice boil a few minutes more and add broth. Boil for 4-5 minutes more and then pass through a fine stainer two or three times until free of sand. Set aside. Remove clam meat from shells and chop. Set aside with chopped salmon. In a clean pot melt butter on medium heat and cook onions, celery, and the whites of the green onions until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir thoroughly. Whisk in half and half and then the reserved clam stock and bring to a slow simmer, whisking constantly. Add sage, bay leaf, and potatoes and simmer, stirring often until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Once potatoes are cooked add the clams and salmon. Cook 1 or 2 minutes more and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a garnish of the scallion greens and a dash of hot sauce if desired (I prefer it without).

Jay's review:

5.0 yums (out of 5)! Beats Boston!

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Day 14: Magical Fruit

Tonight I wanted to do something with black beans but wanted to try something that didn't too closely resemble chili. I have seen a few recipes for Cuban Black Bean soup so I investigated further. Its a pretty basic recipe: onion, garlic, black beans, something spicy and something herb-y. Some call for oregano, some for thyme. Some call for habanero, some call for jalapeno. Some call for tomatoes to be added, some don't. I chose oregano, habanero, no tomatoes (i felt like the addition of tomatoes made it too chili-like). I would say the end result was pretty satisfying. It was hearty, spicy, and very very simple, but still very much like chili. Side note - black beans are also called turtle beans - and are apparently high in antioxidants (yay!)

Cuban Black Bean Soup

2 tbsp canola oil

1 med onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bell peppers (a variety of colors is prettiest), diced

1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp dried oregano

4 cups black turtle beans, cooked

6 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

hot pepper sauce

chopped fresh cilantro

plain yogurt or sour cream

In a soup pot heat canola oil over medium high heat. Saute onions, garlic, and peppers until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and cook a few minutes more. Add black beans and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add hot pepper sauce if you would like a spicier soup. Garnish with fresh cilantro and yogurt, and a dash of hot pepper sauce if you are a glutton for spice.

Jay's review:

4.5 yums (out of 5). Beans, beans, the magical fruit!

Creamy Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

Day 13: Simple Soup

Lucky number 13 is a simple and filling potato soup. I looked for recipes for an interesting potato soup (anything not potato leek soup) and was let down by my options. I knew I wanted something smooth and comforting so I decided to try my own thing. What I came up with was a simple potato soup that relies on the strong flavor of garlic, in this case, the roasted variety. I kept the soup purposefully simple to let the roasted garlic stand alone. I intended on making it with a hint of rosemary, but getting home discovered we were out. So instead I used thyme, which turned out well. I think either would work just fine. I served with a side salad and warm and grainy bread.

Creamy Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

2 med heads garlic

2 tbsp+ olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme (or rosemary)

1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme (or rosemary)

1 med onion diced

3 stalks celery, diced

6 cups diced light skinned potatoes

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup lowfat milk

salt and pepper to taste

Slice off the top part of each head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and dried thyme. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes. In a soup pot over medium low heat cook onions, celery, and fresh thyme in 2 tbsp olive oil slowly until onions are just starting to caramelize. Add potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring thoroughly. Add broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very soft. Remove from heat.

Remove garlic from the oven when cloves are soft and golden brown. Remove cloves from skin and add to soup. Using a food processor or immersion blender blend soup until smooth. Add milk and season to taste with salt an pepper.

Jay's review:

4 yums (out of 5). Rosemary might be nicer...

Curry Noodle Soup

Day 12: #27

So eleven days in I really wanted to cover my proverbial bases. Brainstorming, Jay and I figured we would try a Thai style soup - something a la my absolute favorite # 27 from Mae Phim. #27 is, I think, some version of heaven. It is also very rich. So when I made it I tried to make it a little less so, and add some veggies for some degree of nutritional value. We went to the new QFC in our hood, which didn't have a great selection of Asian style noodles, so we ended up with a Japanese style somen noodle. I think I would have preferred it with a wider udon. Other than that it turned out well, just the right amount of spice and flavor but not nearly as rich as the original #27:

Curry Noodle Soup

1 medium onion, 1/4 minced, the rest diced

2 tbsp ginger, minced

3 lemongrass stalks, the bottom 4 inches minced

3-6 tbsp good quality yellow curry paste (amount will vary depending on quality and type - look at the instructions on your curry paste for typical coconut milk/paste ratio)

2 cups vegetable broth

4 cups light coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 block nigari tofu (any extra firm tofu will work, chicken might be nice as well), cubed

1 tbsp canola oil

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 carrots cut on the bias into 1/2 inch pieces

2 small jalapeno or thai peppers, seeded and minced

10 oz. udon, soba, or rice noodles, cooked

2 green onions, thinly sliced

good quality chili paste to taste (optional)

In a soup pot heat 1/4 cup vegetable broth over medium high heat. Add minced ginger, lemongrass and onion for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Add curry paste and mix thoroughly. Add 2 cups of coconut milk and, whisking thoroughly, heat to a boil. Add remaining coconut milk, remaining broth and fish sauce. Heat to a simmer and add cubed tofu. Simmer while you prepare the rest.

In a wok, heat canola oil over high heat. Saute each of the veggies (remaining onion, carrot, bell pepper and jalapeno) one at a time until just barely soft. As the veggies are cooked add them to the curry broth pot.

To serve place a 1/2 cup noodles at the bottom of a bowl. Ladle curry broth and veggies over until covered. Garnish with green onion and chili paste (if desired).

Jay's review:

4.0 yums (out of 5). A thicker noodle would have made this even better. Nice.

Lentil Soup with Lime

Day 11: Limey

I wanted to try something really different with lentil soup and I found my inspiration in my new cookbook (Christmas gift!) The Feast of Santa Fe. In it I found a recipe for lentil soup with a southwestern flair. The addition of New Mexico green chilies and lime really do make for a different sort of lentil soup, but I can't say it was better than the classic. To be fair, I didn't follow the recipe exactly but I do feel that the recipe called for far too much lime juice. Below I describe what I cooked tonight, but went ahead and reduced the lime to what I think might have been a more reasonable amount.

Lentil Soup with Lime

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

2 dried bay leaves

2 cups lentils rinsed and picked over

8 cups vegetable broth

1/2 diced canned green chilies

juice of two large limes

pinch of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

slash of hot sauce (optional)

In a heavy soup pot heat oil and sweat onions, celery, carrots and garlic 4-5 minutes. Add cumin, oregano and bay leaves and cook for a few minutes. Add lentils and broth, bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are fully cooked. Add chilies and cook for 5 minutes more. Add lime, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a splash of hot sauce (if desired).

Jay's review:

2.5 yums (out of 5). Holy Lime Batman!

Minestrone with Pesto

Day 10: The Kitchen Sink

So the Italian version of tortilla soup turns out to be Minestrone. So vague is the definition of this soup I have yet to find a codified recipe nor an agreed upon pronunciation. Is it Min-e-stron-ee, rhymes with knee? or Min-e-stron rhymes with throne? I really couldn't say. All I know is that making Minestrone is a dangerous endeavour. Dangerous because when including everything but the kitchen sink, one is likely to make far too much soup, which is what happened tonight. Seriously, if anyone in the area needs some soup, feel free to stop by. So Jay and I had many arguments (err, conversations) about what exactly constitutes Minestrone. He seemed to have more rules than me. Must have pasta. Must have tomatoes, but not a tomato broth. I looked at probably 4-5 minestrone recipes and have created the following. A few recommend garnishing with pesto, which I store bought (I know, for shame):

Minestrone with Pesto

2 tbsp olive oil

1 med onion diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 small potato, cubed

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried marjoram

2 dried bay leaves

1/2 lb green beans, stemmed and cut into 2 in pieces

1 red bell pepper

1 zucchini, chopped

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

8 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 lb whole wheat rotini pasta

1 15 oz can beans (great northern, kidney, or cannellini will all work)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pesto, homemade or store bought

In a large soup pan heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and sweat for 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 2 minutes more. Add thyme, marjoram and bay leave and cook for 1 minute. Add green beans, bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, broth, wine and dried pasta and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked. Add beans and cook for a few minutes to heat through. Salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of pesto.

Jay's review:

4.5 yums (out of 5). il 'strone e buono!

Tortilla Soup

Day 9: Mexican Leftovers

So today I set about making a "traditional" Mexican tortilla soup. I would need to look no further than that PBS star and my own personal hero, Rick Bayless. How this man remains so thin despite frying every ingredient in oil is beyond me, but nonetheless he knows his Mexican cooking. So of course I consulted his Authentic Mexican cookbook when attempting this quintessential Mexican soup. Turns out that Tortilla Soup, in its traditional form, is quite simple. A rich broth over whatever happens to be leftover in your pantry. Essential is the stale strips of tortilla, fried and placed at the bottom of the bowl to await a brothy bath. In addition to the tortilla, Rick recommends a combination of fried dried chilies (he suggests pasillas, I used guajillo because I had them leftover from a mole we made recently) and simple cheese (queso fresco if you can get it, monterey jack will work). To make a more hearty meal (which was my goal) he suggested adding chicken. Given that the soup was meant to use up whatever was left in the pantry I felt that it would be okay to remain a traditionalist when it came to the broth (and of course the fried tortillas) but allow for a little more creativity when it came to the rest of the "garnishes". In that spirit I decided to cook up our weekly chicken gold with some onions and dried chilies, dice monterey jack and finish it off with some fresh cilantro. If I were to do it again I would actually use fresh chilies, perhaps some pablanos, rather than the dried, but other than that it was perfection:

Tortilla Soup

4-5 tbsp canola oil

1 small and 1 medium onion thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, whole

1 cup diced tomatoes from a can

6 cups good broth (I used homemade turkey, but chicken or veggie would work)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast sliced into 1/2 in chunks

3 dried guajillo chilies thinly sliced

4 stale corn tortillas cut into strips

1/4 lb monterey jack cheese, cubed into 1/2" cubes

1 large lime, cut into wedges

fresh cilantro, chopped

hot pepper sauce (optional)

To make broth, heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a skillet and fry medium onion and garlic 10-15 minutes on medium low heat until golden brown. Blend in a food processor along with diced tomatoes. Add 1 tbsp canola oil to pan and return tomato mixture to pan. Heat over medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the color had darkened. Scrap into the bottom of a soup pot and add a cup of the broth. Whisk together and heat to a slow boil. Add remaining stock, bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Salt to taste and set aside.

To prepare "garnish", heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a skillet and add small onion and dried chilies. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chilies are slightly softened. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Salt to taste and set aside.

Add remaining oil to the skillet and fry tortillas strips (or use a nonstick pan). This took me a good 10 minutes in the nonstick skillet on medium heat, but the point is really just to dry them out as best you can.

To assemble soup, add a few cubes of the cheese, some of the chicken chili mixture, and a few tortilla strips to the bottom of a bowl. Pour broth over until it just covers garnish. Sprinkle with cilantro and squeeze a lime wedge over the soup. If desired you can spice the soup up with some hot pepper sauce.

Jay's review:

4.5 yums (out of 5). Woohoo!

Wild Mushroom with Barley

Day 8: Field and Forage

Jay and I took the dogs for a walk down into downtown Ballard for our wonderful weekly farmer's market to buy some more chicken gold. I was entranced however, by the bizarre and beautiful freshly foraged chanterelles sold in the stall next door. So while we bought some chicken, I decided to save it for later in the week (maybe for traditional tortilla soup???) and instead celebrate fungi. I have two points of reference for a nice wild mushroom soup, one of my old standby favorites Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, and a new soup cookbook sent to us by dear Aunt S, The Daily Soup Cookbook. Both of these had very similar recipes for Mushroom and Barley soup. The DSB encouraged the used of solely fresh, wild mushrooms, while Moosewood suggests a combination of dried wild mushrooms and more available fresh commercially cultivated mushrooms. Since I had the fresh wilds available to me I decided to use some dried wild mushrooms I had along side some freshly foraged wild Chantarelles. I used two varieties of Chanterelle, the more common Cantharellus cibarius along side the less common Yellow-leg Chantarelle, Cantharellus tuaeformis. Both recipes suggest you can use a wide variety of wild mushrooms, so for the dried varieties I used Porcini and Shitake.

Wild Mushroom with Barley

1 oz dried wild mushrooms (shitake, porcini, morel, chanterelle)

1/2-1 lb fresh wild mushrooms (cremini, chanterelle, yellow leg, black trumpet, oyster), stems removed and reserved, caps chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup dry white wine

8 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 small carrots, chopped

2-3 tsp dried thyme

2 dried bay leaves

1/2 cup pearl barley

salt and pepper to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and cover dried mushrooms in a bowl. Let sit for at least and hour and as much as 3 hours. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid and chop. In a large soup pot heat 1 tbsp oil. Saute fresh mushroom stems for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Add wine and bring to boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining water and reserved mushroom soaking liquid and bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, run the stock through a sieve to remove stems and any dirt. Add soy sauce to the stock and set aside. In the soup pot heat remaining oil. Saute onions, garlic, celery and carrots for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Add thyme and bay leave and stir to coat vegetables. Add the mushroom caps and chopped dried mushrooms and, if desired, a splash of white wine. Let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add stock and barley and simmer for 1 hour or until barley is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Jay's review:

4.5 yums (out of 5)! 'shrooms were surprisingly tasty. Great winter soup.