Polish Mushroom Barley Soup

Debbie R.'s Note:

From Mark Bittman's book, "The Best Recipes in the World". This recipe has only a handful of ingredients. If it were anyone except Bittman, I'd be worried that it meant a paucity of taste. However, it is Bittman, so although I don't expect this to be strongly flavored, I do expect it to be good and comforting.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 ounce dried funghi porcini (aobut 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ lb fresh shiitake mushrooms or ¼ lb button mushroom , stemmed and roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots , sliced
• ¾ cup pearl barley
• salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups water (or stock if preferred)

Directions:

1. Soak porcini in 3 cups of very hot water.
2. Put olive oil in medium saucepan; turn heat to medium-high. Add shiitakes and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add barley and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Remove porcini from liquid--do NOT discard the liquid. Sort thru and discard any hard bits. Add porcini to the pot. Cook, stirring for about 1 minute.
4. Add bay leaf, mushroom liquid, and 3 cups additional water (or stock). Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook until barley is very tender, 20-30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary, plus plenty of pepper.
5. Serve hot or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating, adding a little more water to thin the soup if necessary.