Mushrooms and barley, floating in simple tomato broth… topped with seasoned and roasted tofu squares. Hearty and satisfying, enjoy this tangy and mildly spicy soup as a well-balanced one-dish meal, all on its own.
And hey, if you have some fresh crusty bread and your favorite cheese on hand as well… Hmm.. that would most definitely take it to a whole other level of Yumm!
So, what adds such delightful flavor to this “simple” tomato broth? Oh, all the usual suspects…. celery, onions, garlic, butter……. and yes, just a little bit of fennel for a subtle hint of sweetness that balances all the flavors.
I really like the celery-mushroom pairing – I often add them to soups, stews and creamy casseroles, as well as in fillings for things as varied as lasagna, enchiladas and pot-stickers. For the soup I’ve shared here, I also add pre-cooked barley, along with the mushrooms and vegetables. The barley adds richness and a delightfully nutty texture to the soup; it makes the soup quite hearty and comforting as well, and leaves you feeling well-sated and happy.
Barley – also called Jau/Jav
My Mom didn’t cook with barley (Jau – Hindi; Jav/Yav – Marathi) very much, so I don’t really remember eating barley as a child. I do remember having barley water sometimes when I was sick. When I asked why I had to drink it, Mom said it was cooling and would prevent dehydration. I still remember it quite vividly – a whitish, somewhat translucent looking broth, pretty bland in taste. The few barley grains floating about in it were plump and a bit nutty, texture-wise, but not especially flavorful.
So, when I had barley in a soup, soon after I came to the US, I was really intrigued. The soup was delicious and the barley grains were not bland at all! I bought a small bag of pearled barley and started playing with it.
I soon discovered that following the cooking directions on the package was not really going to work for me…. The cooked barley was sort of tough and rather unappealing when I bit into it. So… I added more water, let it soak for a bit, then cooked it in the pressure cooker… Hmm…. what an amazing difference that made!
I found that 1 cup of raw barley yielded nearly 4 cups of soft-cooked barley! Best of all, the texture seemed much more like what I remembered from the soup I had loved so much.
So… Now I was ready to play some more and see what I could do with barley!
Cook barley with spices to add flavor
First of all, I wanted to add some flavor to the barley while cooking, sort of like when I make a simple Pulao (Pull-aa-o; often called ‘Pilaf’ in the West) with rice. With that in mind, I added salt, cumin seeds, a bay leaf, some peppercorns, a dash of crushed red pepper and a bit of oil to the cooking water… and Wow!
I’ve been cooking barley this way now for years …. I don’t see any reason at all to cook it plain! Also, I purposely cook a little extra and keep a small stash in my freezer. Whenever the whim to use it hits, I just pull out my stash and set it on the counter. This way, it gently thaws while I go about prepping everything else I need for whatever I’m in the mood for.
What to do with cooked barley? Soups, stews and more…
My favorite way to use barley is in soups and stews – all kinds, from all cuisines…. It gives an interesting twist to culinary styles that do not traditionally use barley very much. I like that the barley adds a soft nuttiness, and gently thickens the soup as well. It adds body to what might otherwise be a thin, broth-like soup, making it more hearty and filling. Sometimes, I add cooked barley to creamed soups too… All of these soups are delightfully soul-satisfying… they lift my spirits and leave me happy for hours afterwards.
Other things to do with cooked barley? Let’s see….stuff it into bell peppers, enchiladas, spring-rolls…. mix it with some veggies to make patties, croquettes…. I love to keep playing with it, and more often than not, the outcome is quite delectable!
Mushrooms…. what’s better – brown or white?
If possible, I like to use the brown Crimini (Cremini) mushrooms, also called Baby Bella (they look like mini-Portabellas), in this soup. Of course, if I already have white button mushrooms in my fridge, I use these instead and the soup turns out just fine. So… no need to stress over whether its OK to use the more readily available little white “buttons”, if you can’t find the little brown buttons.
There appears to be some controversy over whether Crimini and Baby Bellas are two names for the same variety of mushrooms, or if they are, in fact, different varieties. Some folks say these are actually not the same, and belong to different mushroom families. Since I’m not really an expert on mushroom varieties, I’d rather not comment further. However, I feel that they’re both pretty similar in taste and texture, so I just use whichever one I can find – no matter whether they are labeled as Baby Bella or Crimini.
I have not tried making this soup with any other mushroom varieties. Of course, I don’t see any reason not to at least try…. If you do, please let me know how it turns out, and do mention what kind of mushrooms you used. Then I can update my post to include your thoughts and feedback.
One of these days, I want to see what a little bit of broth made with Shitake mushrooms would do to this hearty barley and vegetable soup… I think that might be a fun new variation on this recipe.
Toppings for Soup: Croutons and more…
I’ve always loved topping my soups with something interesting. My Mom used to top tomato soup with crunchy, buttery croutons… I always wanted more of them, until they were all gone. I loved how they soaked up the soup in a flash and still retained some crunch, just long enough for you to enjoy their unique texture and flavor. If they soaked too long, they would get soggy and lose their crunch… not nearly quite as nice! So, whenever I serve soup, I put out the toppings on the side, and let folks add these themselves. Even when I order soup at a restaurant, I ask for croutons on the side, and am so delighted when they do!
Much as I love croutons, I’ve played with lots of ideas for what other things might work as soup toppings too. I do want the toppings to add interesting flavors and textures, in addition to visual appeal, of course….. But…. If it also enhances the nutrition profile of the final dish…. Hey, that’s my kind of topping!
Roasted tofu cubes – spicy, crispy and protein-packed soup-topping
I love topping this Mushrooms and Barley Soup with seasoned tofu cubes that I roast until they are golden and slightly crisp. Tofu right out of the box is just way too bland and boring for me: I definitely need something with more flavor, and these spicy and crispy tofu cubes hit the spot nicely.
How do I make these? I mix the simple seasonings and sprinkle the mixture over the cubed tofu. After gently turning/tossing to evenly coat the tofu squares, I set them aside for 15-20 min. Then I drizzle them with a bit of oil and roast them in an air-fryer or toaster oven till they become golden brown and crisp, turning halfway through to ensure even browning.
As the moisture evaporates, the tofu cubes shrink quite a bit. When they’re done, I set them out in a serving bowl – this way, everyone can add the roasted tofu cubes to their own bowl of soup. It’s sort of like topping a soup with croutons… except, of course, these spicy little cubes are protein-packed… And Yummy!
Mushrooms, barley and tofu – power combination
Mushrooms and tofu add a good heft of protein to this soup, while the barley adds energy-giving and mood-lifting carbohydrates …. A power combination indeed! Also, all the flavor ingredients come with their own rich array of vital micro-nutrients and the barley provides much-needed soluble fiber too…
All in-all, a great, no-fuss, one-dish meal !
By the way…. if you’re a soup-lover, you might want to check out some of these soup recipes I’ve posted:
- Tomato Basil Soup – with fresh tomatoes
- Lentil Vegetable Soup – Moroccan style
- Cream of Mushroom Soup – without cream!
- Navy Bean Soup with carrots
Special Diets
This soup is vegetarian and nut-free. Barley has gluten, so it is not gluten-free. It can be veganized easily: simply use your favorite cooking oil instead of the butter for sauteing the garlic and mushrooms.
I do not recommend using a cold pressed oil for this purpose, though, since heat destroys many of the benefits of using such oils. Instead, I very much prefer to add cold-pressed oils to a dish at the very end, just before serving. That’s exactly what I’ve described in this soup recipe, so as to retain the beneficial properties of extra-virgin olive oil.
If you do eat dairy and wish to avoid soy-products, such as the roasted tofu cubes, no worries….. You can use chunks of fresh Mozzarella, or another cheese you like, to top your soup. I sometimes even use seasoned and roasted Paneer chunks instead of tofu – that tastes amazing too. In fact, I suspect most of my Indian friends might feel that the roasted Paneer is actually even better!
So… Are you looking to include a greater variety of whole grains into your everyday meals? Well, maybe it’s time to start playing with cooked barley. Go ahead… make this delicious soup with mushrooms and barley…. Set out some bread and butter, some aged cheese and maybe some crunchy crudites too… Hmm… I’m hungry just thinking about it all!
After that first little spoonful of soup, and the spicy kick from the roasted tofu, you will probably not stop until your bowl is empty and you want some more! So, go ahead, have two bowls then… Who’s stopping you from making a whole meal of it? That’s just double the nutrition and double the Yumm factor! Of course, if everyone already plans to do that, well then…. I guess you’ll just have to make a double batch.
Do leave a review and star rating… much appreciated.
Enjoy!
Mushrooms and Barley – In a Simple Tomato Broth
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred If not available, no worries – you can make this soup on the stove-top without a pressure cooker. Note that this will take longer; see Recipe Notes for details
Ingredients
Cook together in Pressure Cooker
- 1/2 cup Cooked Barley – soft-cooked and lightly seasoned If starting from dry barley grains, see Recipe Notes for how to cook Barley with simple seasonings
- 1 cup Celery – diced small-medium about 2-3 stalks
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes – diced small about 1 medium Roma tomato; other varieties OK too
- 1/2 cup Onion – diced small any variety OK- white, yellow, red
- 1 leaf Bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper: freshly crushed preferred
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Water
Seasoned Tofu
- 1/4 tsp Fennel powder
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Freshly crushed black pepper
- 1/8 tsp Red chilli powder (cayenne)
- 1 cup Firm Tofu – cut into small cubes, about 1/4 inch (3/4 cm) sides about 6 oz ( about 1/2 of a 12 oz pkg); cut into 1/4 inch (3/4 cm) thick slices from the block, then cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp Oil (optional) if you wish to pan-fry on the stove-top; I like to use peanut oil, but you may use a mild flavored nut-free oil of your choice
For Putting the Soup together
- 1 1/2 cups Crimini (Cremini) Mushrooms – (Baby Bella) – diced medium, including stems 6-7 small-medium mushrooms; if Crimini mushrooms not available, white button mushrooms OK
- 1 tsp Butter For vegan soup, use any mild oil of your choice; Note: I do not recommend using a cold-pressed oil for this step
- 1 tsp Garlic – fresh, chopped Fresh garlic is best; I do not recommend using the chopped garlic preserved in glass jar – the taste and smell is not very appealing.
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Black Pepper freshly crushed preferred
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste add up to 1 tbsp more tomato paste if you like; alternatively, use 2/3 cup tomato juice, or see Recipe Notes for how to cook and puree fresh tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups Hot water use about 1/2 cup less water if using tomato juice instead of tomato paste.
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley – trimmed and chopped
- 2 tsp Olive oil Extra-Virgin OK
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
Instructions
Cook these items together in the pressure cooker
- Wash and dice the celery stalks.
- Rinse the tomatoes, then finely chop/dice.
- Peel and chop/dice the onions
- Transfer celery, tomatoes and onions to a stainless steel pressure cooker insert container. Add 1/2 cup water.
- Add the cooked barley, bay leaf, fennel powder, crushed red pepper, freshly crushed black pepper and salt.Prepare the pressure cooker for pressure-steaming: place a rack inside the pressure cooker pot and add 1 1/2 – 2 cups water: this will generate the steam pressure for the pressure cookerPlace the container with the soup ingredients on the rack.Note: the bottom of the container should be above the water level in the outer pot Close the lid and pressure cook for 5 min at full pressure. Allow pressure to release normally (OK to force-release any residual pressure left after 10 min of natural pressure release – be careful to avoid getting hot steam on your hands!)
Prepare the seasoned Tofu
- While the vegetables cook in the pressure cooker, prepare the seasoned tofu.Line a plate with 2 layers of paper towels. Pour off the water from the tofu container and carefully invert the tofu block on the plate.Wait for a few min to allow the paper to absorb some of the moisture from the tofu.
- Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning mixture in a small bowl: mix together the salt, red chilli powder (cayenne), crushed black pepper and fennel powder.
- Transfer the dried tofu block to a cutting board. Cut the block in half, transfer one portion to a container with a good lid and store in the refrigerator for another use.Cut the remaining portion into 1/4 inch (3/4 cm) thick slices; slice these into 1/4 inch (3/4 cm) logs, and then into 1/4 inch (3/4 cm) cubes.
- Transfer the cubes to a shallow bowl and sprinkle about 1/2 of the seasoning mixture.Gently turn the pieces and sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture. stir gently to evenly coat all the tofu cubes with seasoning.
- Air-fry or toast the tofu till lightly browned and crisp. If Air-Fryer or toaster oven is not available, pan-fry the tofu with a few drops of oil in a non-stick frying pan until browned on all sides, turning frequently to prevent sticking and/or burning.Air-Fryer:Preheat the Air-Fryer: 400F (200 C)for 3-4 min; line the tray/basket with parchment and place the seasoned tofu in a single layer – do not stack or crowd the pieces; Air-Fry at 400 for 8-9 min, turning halfway, till lightly browned and crisp. Toaster Oven:Preheat the toaster oven: 400F for 3-4 min; line a baking tray with parchment and place the seasoned tofu in a single layer – do not stack or crowd the pieces; toast at 400 F (200 C) for 10-12 min, turning after 7-8 min, till lightly browned and crisp. Note: The pieces shrink quite a bit while browning- will yield about 1/2 cup toasted and browned tofu. Set aside until you're ready to serve the soup.
Start making the soup
- While you wait for the pressure to be released from the pressure cooker, prep the garlic and mushrooms. Peel and dice the garlic.
- Rinse, pat dry and cut the mushrooms – medium-large dice
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan-(2-3 quart / liter); add garlic and crushed black pepper and saute for 30 seconds
- Add mushrooms and saute for about 1 min.
- By this time, the pressure should have been released from the pressure cooker. If not, and about 10 min have passed since the cooker was turned off, you can force-release the remaining pressure. Caution: while force-releasing any residual pressure, be sure to keep you hands and fingers away from the path of the released steam!
- Transfer the cooked veggies to the soup pot. Use a little hot water to collect any seasonings stuck to the container – add this to the soup pot. Add the remaining hot water to the soup and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
- Mix the tomato paste with a little water, add to the soup pot an stir to mix. Cover and simmer for 3-4 min. If using tomato puree/juice instead of paste, there's no need to pre-mix it with water- just add it directly.See Recipe Notes for how to prep fresh tomatoes for using in this step.
Garnish and Serve
- Trim, wash and chop parsley.
- When ready to serve: Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then add extra-virgin olive oil to the hot soup.
- Sprinkle paprika directly on the oil and gently stir the paprika into the oil.
- Simmer for a few min to let flavors blend. Taste test and adjust for salt: you may need to add 1/8 – 1/4 tsp more, as per your personal preference.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve, piping hot.Add several pieces of toasted seasoned tofu to individual bowls. Serve remaining tofu pieces on the side, along with fresh bread, sliced cheese, crudites, etc.If you like, you can also set out shredded Parmesan cheese on the side.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cook Barley with seasonings:
If you don’t have cooked barley on hand, follow these directions for making 1 cup of soft-cooked seasoned barley. Since this recipe calls for 1/2 cup, you can stash the leftover 1/2 cup of cooked barley in the freezer for another time.- Soak 1/4 cup pearled barley (dry) in 1 cup water (measure!) in a small stainless steel bowl for about 30 min
- Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp crushed pepper,1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1 bay leaf, 4-5 whole black peppercorns and 1/2 tsp oil.
- Place a rack in the pressure cooker pot and add about 1 1/2 -2 cups water
- Place the bowl with the soaked barley on the rack. Cover and pressure cook for 5 min at full pressure.
- Allow pressure to release normally (10-12 min)
- Remove the bowl from pressure cooker (it’s hot – use tongs!) and set aside to cool: the cooked barley looks “wet” at first- it starts to look more dry as it cools.
Cooking barley without pressure-cooker
If a pressure cooker isn’t available, no worries. Follow the directions outlined below for cooking the barley.- Soak the dry barley grains along with the spices:
- 1/4 cup pearled barley (dry) in 1 cup water (measure!) in a small stainless steel bowl for about 30 min
- Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp crushed pepper,1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1 bay leaf, 4-5 whole black peppercorns and 1/2 tsp oil.
- Cook the barley by one of the methods described below:
- Steamer:
- Place this bowl in a steamer basket and steam for 40-45 min, maybe even longer, until the water is mostly absorbed and the barley grains are soft-cooked.
- Heavy-bottom saucepan
- Bring 1 cup water to boil in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan (2 quart / liter)
- Transfer the soaked barley and bring back to a rolling boil.
- Lower the heat, cover loosely – keep lid partially open to prevent frothing and boiling over- and simmer,
- stir every 4-5 min to prevent sticking/burning on the bottom, for about 40-45 min until liquid is mostly absorbed and the barley is soft-cooked.
- If the water seems to be drying out before the barley is cooked, add 1/4 cup boiling water and decrease the heat to low.
- Cover partially and continue cooking until done, adding more water if needed.
- Rice cooker
- Bring 1 cup water to boil in the rice cooker pot
- Transfer the soaked barley and continue to cook heat until it starts to boil again.
- Cover and cook until the rice cooker beeps at the end. It will likely take about 30-35 min.
- Stir a couple of times along the way to check for burning on the bottom.
- Add 1/4 cup boiling water after the cooking is done, cover and unplug the cooker. Keep covered for about 10 min before using. The barley should look moist and plump and have a soft-cooked texture.
- Steamer:
Cook the soup vegetables without pressure cooker:
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, use a heavy bottom saucepan to cook the celery, onion and tomatoes. Note that this will take quite a bit longer to cook.- Cook the mixed vegetables, along with the spices and 1 cup of water, in a medium heavy bottom saucepan for about 25-30 min.
- Bring the mixture to a rapid boil on high heat
- Lower the heat, cover ans simmer until the vegetables are soft-cooked.
- Check for done-ness after about 20 min: remove a celery piece, cool for a minute and bite into it. If it is still a bit crunchy, it needs to cook a little longer (5-7 min)
- Now add 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup of the cooked barley and simmer for another 8-10 min.
- Use as directed in the recipe, after sauteeing the mushrooms with garlic, black pepper and butter.
Pureed fresh tomatoes:
If you wish to use fresh tomatoes instead of prepared tomato paste or tomato juice to make this soup:- Rinse and chop tomatoes – about 1 cup, from 2-3 small medium Roma tomatoes
- Place in a microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl and microwave on Hi, 3-4 min – volume will shrink to about 2/3 cup.
- When cool, transfer to a blender and blend till smooth, adding a little water, if needed.
- No need to strain the pureed tomatoes.
Do-ahead planning:
If you want to do some advance prep for this soup, you can do several things up to 2-3 days in advance, then finish putting it together just before you serve it up.- Cook the barley up to 2-3 days in advance – refrigerate until ready to use
- You could also prepare it earlier and freeze it – measure it before freezing in a shallow container – it will thaw more easily.
- Take it out about an hour or so before you start putting the soup together: let it thaw completely before adding to soup – it’s OK to microwave it for a minute or so to finish thawing.
- You could also prepare it earlier and freeze it – measure it before freezing in a shallow container – it will thaw more easily.
- If using pureed fresh tomatoes, prepare the puree (as described above) up to 2 days in advance – refrigerate until ready to use
- You could also prepare it earlier and freeze it – measure it before freezing in a small shallow container – it will thaw more easily.
- Take it out about an hour or so before you start putting the soup together: let it thaw completely before adding to soup – it’s OK to microwave it for a minute or so to finish thawing.
- You could also prepare it earlier and freeze it – measure it before freezing in a small shallow container – it will thaw more easily.
- Chop the vegetables and cook the celery-onion-tomato mixture up to 1 day in advance – refrigerate until ready to use
- Season and roast the tofu up to 1 day in advance – refrigerate until ready to use. Before serving:
- Bake in a toaster oven for 2-3 min to re-crisp.
- Or, heat it through in a frying pan with a few drops of oil till sizzling hot and slightly crisp.
- Dice the mushrooms up to 1 day in advance – refrigerate until ready to use.
- I do not recommend sauteing the mushrooms in advance.
Storing leftovers:
Refrigerate leftover soup in a glass container: I do not recommend using plastic containers for storing this soup. I do not recommend freezing this soup.- The texture and appearance of this soup after thawing is not very appealing.
yum looks so savoury, will definitely try 👍
Thanks! Hope you like it!