Pearl Barley & Mushroom Soup

You can’t go wrong with this creamy vegan mushroom soup. It’s low-calorie, cholesterol-free and packed full of heart-healthy fibre.

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 40 mins | Serves: 2

Easy to make, easy to eat and incredibly healthy, mushroom soup is a fuss-free option for lunch or dinner any time of year. But when the temperature drops and the days shorten, there’s nothing more soul-warming than curling up with a bowl of this creamy vegan soup. 

You’ll love the luxuriously silky puréed mushrooms, richly flavoured with garlic and shallots, then thickened with Almo Crème and topped with pearl barley. The addition of pearl barley imparts a slightly nutty flavour and chewy texture, while also added bulk to the dish. 

Both mushrooms and barley are rich in beta-glucan, a form of soluble dietary fibre that’s shown to reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol by binding to bile acids. These two key ingredients are also loaded with selenium, an important mineral needed for healthy metabolism and thyroid function, and a powerful antioxidant shown to lower risk of heart disease and cancer.  

Tip: Preparing homemade vegetable stock makes all the difference. Check out our vegetable stock recipe here.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup baby pearl barley 
• 1 large white potato, peeled and boiled
• 2 cups of vegetable stock (homemade recipe here)
• 200 grams brown mushrooms
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp apple cider
• 1-2 tbsp Almo Crème

Method

1. Place the barley into a medium pot, add one and a half cups of water and a pinch of salt, if desired.  
2. Bring to the boil over high heat and then reduce to a rapid simmer, cover and cook the barley for 25 minutes, or until the barley has tripled in size. Strain water, if necessary, and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté shallots, until golden and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for another 4-5 minutes. Add apple cider and cook for another minute longer. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. 
4. Once cool, place mushrooms, vegetable stock, boiled potato and 1-2 tablespoons of Almo Crème in a food processor. Blend until smooth. 
5. Return mixture to the saucepan and simmer until desired thickness is reached. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a ladle full of pearl barley, chopped fresh herbs and drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil.