Who doesn’t love the smell of a delicious homemade soup simmering on the stove on a cold winter day? After the last few weeks of below freezing temperatures, we broke out our stock pot and kept warm with delicious soups! I start with a Mushroom Barley Soup and add ingredients based on what I feel like eating.

Mushroom Barley Soup

This is a wonderful soup starter that can be customized to your taste or enjoy as is with a warm piece of bread. Choosing your broth, type of mushrooms and other ingredients to the soup. I used to call it leftover soup. Many times, when the kids were younger, I would triple and quadruple the recipe and then freeze the base in different serving sizes and pull them out and add to them when we had plenty of leftovers that needed to be used. The soup base freezes well, and you won’t lose any of the flavor.

Barley comes in two forms.

Hulled barley takes the longest to cook, approximately 35-40 minutes in the recipes below. It has had the outermost hull removed but still retains its brand and endosperm layer. It is the most nutritious of the two and considered a whole grain. It is golden brown in color and is chewier and has a nuttier flavor. When cooked hulled barley tends to swell and retain its shape.

Pearl barley or quick-cooking barley will cook in 12-15 minutes in the recipes below. I have had the bran and possibly the endosperm layers removed. It is a pale creamy-colored grain. It will cook faster than the hulled variety and will be less chewy. It is less nutritious and is not considered a whole grain. Pearl barley when cooked releases starches and will thicken the soup broth. If you don’t want it to thicken the broth cook it separately and rinse it before adding.

I love the flavor of both types of barley, and it tends to be my go-to when I am making soup. How much preparation time I have determines which one I use.

If you prefer brown rice, diced potato or whole wheat pasta instead of barley, simmer according to their directions.

Broth

You may purchase low sodium broth from the grocery store or make your own big batch and freeze to use later. Homemade broth is easy to make, and it makes your house smell yummy while it is cooking.

Vegetable Broth

The best vegetables for a basic stock are carrots, celery, onions, and mushrooms. You may also add or swap out with leeks, parsnips, or tomatoes. Wash the vegetables well and cut into large pieces, you do not have to peel them, and you can leave the onion skin on as well. A bay leaf or two and parsley is okay to add for seasoning but stay away from other spices unless you know how you will be using the broth.

Put all the vegetables in a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water about couple inches higher than the vegetables. Cover and set the pot on medium-high heat until just about to boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 1-2 hours.

Remove from stove and strain into another pan or bowl. Lining the colander with coffee filters or cheese cloth is desirable. Divide your broth into storage containers, cool completely and freeze if not using immediately. In an airtight container it will remain good for up to 1 week in your refrigerator or 3 months in your freezer.

Beef or Chicken Broth

Unless you know how you are going to use this broth keep it simple. For any of the soups in this article simmering carrots, onions or celery with the meat is recommended.

Beef Broth –  use beef shank or short ribs, neck, shin, knuckle bones or oxtail. Marrow bones are not a good choice because they don’t have any meat and the round hole of fat will not add any flavor just fat.

Chicken Broth –  use bony chicken pieces like legs, wings neck or back bones. The carcass of a roasted chicken works well too.

Add meat and a bay leaf or two to stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water about couple inches higher than the meat. Cover and set pot on medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer partly covered for 3-4 hours, skimming foam as needed.

Remove from stove and strain into another pan or bowl. Lining the colander with coffee filters or cheese cloth is desirable. Divide your broth into storage containers, cool completely and freeze if not using immediately. In an airtight container it will remain good for up to 5 days in your refrigerator or 6 months in your freezer.

Mushroom Barley Soup

In all recipes below simmer hulled barley 35-40 minutes or Pearl barley 12-15 minutes.

• 4 cups broth – use low-sodium vegetable, beef, or chicken – store bought or homemade
• 2-3 8oz packages of fresh mushrooms – I love using a variety of types
• ½ cup of uncooked barley

Lightly spray a stock pot or Dutch oven with cooking spray and add 1 tsp of olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add desired broth and barley and reduce heat and continue simmering until barley is cooked.

This soup base is delicious as is, just the mushrooms and barley with a touch of pepper is wonderful.

You can step it up a notch and clean out your refrigerator at the same time. Remember if adding raw vegetables, you want to allow more cooking time before adding the barley.

A few of our favorite variations below:

Cabbage/Mushroom/Barley

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth – store bought or homemade
• 2-3 8oz pkg each of Button, Portobello, and Oyster mushrooms
• 2-3 celery stalks chopped
• ½ small onion chopped
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup uncooked barley

Start with sauteing the mushrooms, celery and onions in a stock pot or Dutch oven. When the onions and celery are translucent add the broth and seasoning. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add cabbage and barley and continue simmering until barley is cooked.

Beef/Mushroom/Barley

• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth – store bought or homemade
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter instead of olive oil
• 2-3 8oz pkgs of mushrooms (I love mushrooms and usually add 4-5 packages of different varieties)
• 8 oz Beef stew meat, all fat trimmed, cooked, and cut into small bite size pieces
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• ½ cup uncooked barley

Sauté mushrooms in unsalted butter in stock pot or Dutch oven until limp. Add broth, cooked beef, and pepper. Cover and simmer 45-60 minutes to help tenderize the beef. Add barley and continue simmering until barley is cooked.

Rosemary Chicken/Barley/Corn

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth – store bought or homemade
• ½ cup uncooked barley
• 2 15 oz cans of no salt added whole kernel corn
• 1 ½ teaspoons Rosemary
• 1 small garlic clove minced

Sauté chicken cut into bite size pieces with 1 tsp olive oil and ½ teaspoon of rosemary and garlic. When chicken is fully cooked add broth, corn, and 1 tsp of rosemary. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add barley and simmer until barley is cooked.

Customize to your liking

You can make this soup to yours and your family’s taste. As long as you watch the sodium and fats, choose whole grain starch you can create a heart healthy soup to warm your bellies on these freezing cold days.

Talk to your Healthcare Provider

Dr. Bobish and her team at Alpine Cardiology focus on preventative care. A heart healthy diet is part of a healthy lifestyle and may help protect your heart and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Our goal is to provide patients with education as well as compassionate care and treatment. Call 989-448-7002 to schedule a visit.