This is a hearty, 'earthy' soup that is full of herbal flavors. It is a perfect soup to serve on a chilly fall evening. The Poultry Spice gives the soup wonderful spiced sage flavors, and the Thyme and Garlic Granules are great compliments for the mushrooms. Serve this soup with buttered, warm crusty bread, and you have a delicious, healthy meal that is a real winner!
POULTRY SPICE, Thyme (dried herb), Garlic Granules, Bay Leaf
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Pearl Barley (quick cooking)
1 lb assorted fresh, sliced (e.g., shitake, cremini, button)
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 large shallots, minced
3 Tblspns olive oil
1 Tblspn butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp each: Poultry Spice, Thyme, Garlic Granules
1 Bay Leaf
1 cup white wine (not sweet)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (divided)
2 1/2 Tblspns flour
1/2 cup light sour cream
Directions: Bring 1 1/2 cups of the stock & a Bay Leaf to a boil. Lower the heat and add the barley. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the Bay Leaf and set aside. In a heavy, deep skillet, heat the oil and the butter. Saute the shallots in the heated oil/butter until they are soft (about 2 minutes). Add the mushrooms, celery, Poultry Spice, Thyme Garlic Granules, salt, and pepper to taste, and cook until the mushrooms start to soften (about 3 minutes). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat to medium and add the wine and cook for about a minute. Add the remaining 2 cups of stock to the pan and stir for about 20 minutes until the soup starts to thicken. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cooked barley and the sour cream, and then cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.
