Slow Cooker 5-Mushroom Barley Soup

This hearty version of an American classic soup is inspired by 'Chef Jakey' of the long-gone 'Steak Pub' in 1970's Monticello, NY. Long ago, I lived and worked in the upstate New York resort town of Monticello. As an electrical contractor, one of my clients was an upscale restaurant called 'The Steak Pub.' They had an Asian head chef named 'Jakey.' During winter months when business was slow, we spent hours doing electrical upgrades. Inevitably, we would be there at lunch time, and Jakey would invite us to his specialty, Mushroom Barley Soup, with hot sourdough. The addition of the cream of mushroom soup gives a creamier end result. Serve hot with sourdough or other fine bread, or garlic rounds.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 8 hr
• Total Time: 8 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 271 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 cup diced onion
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 cup barley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• ¼ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• ½ cup diced carrot
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (Optional)
• 1 (6 ounce) package sliced white mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped brown beech mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped oyster mushrooms
• ¼ cup dried black mushrooms, broken into small pieces
• ½ teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cover and cook on High for 1 hour.

Step 2

Heat water in a slow cooker set to High until hot; add barley, beef broth, milk, olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, white mushrooms, brown beech mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, black mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, salt, and ground mixed peppercorns to the slow cooker.

Step 3

Remove shiitake mushrooms with a slotted spoon and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Reduce heat setting to Low and continue cooking 7 hours more.