This soup is quickly becoming a member favorite. It’s hearty and delicious, and it’s also vegan and loaded with good nutrition.

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Barley, Kale, and Mushroom Soup
Purple * Serves 6

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms or mixed wild mushrooms (you want the boxed dried mushrooms)
1 quart vegetable stock
3 cups water
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 of a box of finely chopped up soy or tempeh bacon (if you don’t like fake meats and their smoky flavor, just skip this)
3/4 pound crimini or button mushroom caps, wiped clean and quartered or sliced (or use the best looking mushrooms, or the ones on sale)
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 leeks, trimmed, chopped up (or 1 large onion if you can’t find leeks)
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
Salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes (15 ounces)
1 cup uncooked barley
1 big bunch kale, washed and chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Place the dried mushrooms in a medium pot with the stock and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the veggie bacon and cook, 2-3 minutes, then add the mushroom caps and bay leaf. Cook for 10-12 minutes to soften and darken the mushrooms. Add the leeks or onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the sage, rosemary and canned tomatoes.

Remove the softened dried mushrooms from the stock and chop. Add them, along with their cooking liquid, to the soup pot, taking care to leave behind any grit from the mushrooms. Stir in the barley and kale, then add a little freshly grated nutmeg. Bring the soup to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Taste to adjust the seasonings and serve in shallow bowls.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at 8:45 am and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.