Turkey Barley Mushroom Soup - Diane Rossen Worthington Recipes
Turkey Barley Mushroom Soup

Simple to cook and serve, hearty one-dish soups are a good standby for family meals or informal gatherings. Just add bread and a salad and you're ready to eat.

This is the soup to make for a satisfying meal on a cold day. Turkey thighs are added here both for substance and flavor. Removing the skin from the turkey reduces the fat. Pearl barley is barley that has the bran removed and then is steamed and polished. This helps it cook a little faster than regular unprocessed barley.

You can use any combination of dried mushrooms you prefer for this soup. I try to find packages that have a variety of mushrooms for a more complex flavor. Adding a touch of soy sauce at the end of cooking brings out the rustic earthy flavors of the mushrooms. This soup freezes well and also can prepared up to two days ahead of serving. Just make sure to adjust the seasonings when reheating it.

Turkey Barley Mushroom Soup

Serves 8

1/2 ounce dried mixed mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups of boiling water for 30 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup pearl barley

2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 pound white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped

2 turkey thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), skinned

8 cups of chicken or beef stock

2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid; squeeze the mushrooms dry. Strain the liquid and set aside. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch cubes and set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium high heat. Add the leeks and saute for 5-7 minutes or until nicely softened. Add the garlic, barley, carrot and fresh mushrooms, and saute for another minute or until coated. Add the turkey thighs and stock, and simmer the soup on low heat, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the barley is tender but not mushy.

3. Remove the turkey thighs from the pot. Discard the skin and cut the meat from the bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot. Add the strained dried mushroom liquid along with the reserved dried mushrooms to the soup. Add the soy sauce and parsley and simmer 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.

 

Subscribe to Receive our Gourmet Recipes


Turkey Barley Mushroom Soup - Diane Rossen Worthington Recipes

World-renowned chefs with an extraordinary passion for food share their passion on iHaveNet.com. These chefs make great cooking easier than imagined. Each gourmet recipe features expert advice and an easy-to-make recipe. Exactly what you need to transform your home cooking from acceptable to delectable

© Tribune Media Services Inc.

 

 

 

Explore Easy-to-make Gourmet Recipes