Mushroom Barley Soup

Yes, I have been very negligent. But truth be told, I have no idea where the last 6 weeks of my life went!  Really I have no idea where the last 13 years of my life have gone but that's not a topic for a food blog!

The onset of this cold weather in full force has me wanting a nice bowl of soup on many nights.  I needed to expand my soup base. I really love mushroom barley (without beef) so I out this one together the other night. 

 In a medium pan, bring 1 cup of barley and 4 cups of water to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until cooked (about 1/2 hour). Meanwhile, in a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 small diced onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until the onions have softened. Add in 1 cup chopped carrots and 1 cup chopped celery and cook for about 5 minutes more. Add in mushrooms (side bar here - I used a package of white mushrooms which I sliced up and a package of sliced baby bellas- honestly you can use whatever mushroom you like but use a lot since they are the star of the dish) and increase heat to medium-high and cook about 4 minutes so that they release their juices. Add about a tablespoon of butter in and melt it prior to adding in 6 cups of vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves and the leaves from about 8 sprigs of thyme.  Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes more. Stir in the cooked barley (along with any of the water left in the pan), discard the bay leaves. 

Need I tell you to serve it with a nice crusty bread???