Spicy Grain Soup

From Food & Wine November 2006 - credited to Mary Ellen Diaz.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup pearl barley
•  water
• 1⁄2 cup  short-grain brown rice
• 1⁄2 cup bulgur
• 1  tablespoon light olive oil
• 3  ancho chilies or 3  dried mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded and broken into 2-inch pieces
• 1  large onion, thinly sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, halved
• 2  quarts low sodium chicken broth or 2  quarts vegetable broth
• 1 1⁄2 cups  canned diced tomatoes
• 6  fresh cilantro stems, plus
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  teaspoon ground allspice
•  kosher salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 lb shiitake mushroom, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1  medium carrot, finely diced
• 1  medium zucchini, finely diced
• 1  medium parsnip, finely diced
• 1⁄2 cup  salted roasted  pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the barley with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
2. Cover and simmer over low heat until tender, about 35 minutes; drain.
3. Return the barley to the pan and cover.
4. Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, cover the brown rice with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
5. Cover and simmer over low heat until tender, about 35 minutes.
6. Drain the brown rice and add to the barley.
7. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, cover the bulgur with 1 cup of hot water.
8. Cover and let stand until the water is absorbed, 10 minutes.
9. In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil.
10. Add the chiles, onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
11. Add the broth, tomatoes, cilantro sprigs and allspice and season with 1 tablespoon of salt and a pinch of pepper.
12. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
13. Let cool slightly.
14. Puree the soup in a blender and return to the pan.
15. Add the mushrooms, black beans, carrot, zucchini and parsnip to the pureed soup and bring to a boil.
16. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
17. Add the barley, rice and bulgur and season with salt and pepper.
18. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro and serve.