Mushroom Barley Soup - Barley Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What if I put too much barley in my soup? ›

As barley is a starch the best you can do is dilute it, or thin it out a bit. You may need to add a fair bit of broth and more of your vegetal ingredients. Possibly to the point of doubling your recipe. It will depend on when you find the taste and texture to have gotten back to acceptable levels.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until most (or all) of the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender with a slightly chewy texture. Pearl barley takes 25 to 30 minutes to cook, and hulled barley will take 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook. Drain and garnish.

Barley is high in fiber, especially beta-glucan, which may reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It may also aid weight loss and improve digestion. Whole-grain, hulled barley is more nutritious than refined, pearled barley. It can be substituted for any whole grain and easily added to your diet.

Yes! Barley holds a good amount of starch, which will release into the soup when it's cooked. That starch will help thicken the broth to leave you with a deliciously thick, creamy soup.

Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity: The gluten in barley can make celiac disease worse. Avoid using barley. Allergies to cereal grains: Consuming barley might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to other cereal grains, including rye, wheat, oat, corn and rice.

However, if you consume too much of it, its fiber content can cause stomach cramps, constipation, bloating, and gas. Unwanted weight gain. Barley water is high in calories per serving. You can further increase the calorie count if you add fruit juices or sweeteners like honey to your barley water mix.

There is no need to rinse barley before using it. To enhance the flavor of barley, heat the kernels in a skillet for a few minutes or cook it in broth instead of water. You can save time by cooking extra barley and freezing it. Add it to soups or salads as you need it.

How to prepare barley. Pearl barley does not need to be soaked before use and will become tender during the cooking process. Pot barley is best when soaked overnight in cold water, then cooked in three parts liquid to one quantity of grain.

Many of the bigger/tougher ones — barley, rice, farro and the like — will start to ferment and/or sprout long before they are tender enough to eat raw, so those require cooking. As it happens, there's plenty of evidence that pre-soaking improves the digestibility and cooking of whole grains.

Barley is a grain that is very similar in size and texture of brown rice. There are several different types of barley but the most common is pearl barley which is used in this recipe. I use it frequently in place of rice and pasta in many soup recipes, perfect in my Chicken Barley Soup!

Is barley soup anti-inflammatory? ›

Research shows that barley helps to regulate blood pressure, boost immunity and provide anti-inflammatory effects.

Barley has been shown to have antitumor properties through regulating the immune system and limiting cancer cell proliferation and dissemination. Furthermore, barley possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which may contribute to its anticancer potential.

Hulled barley, considered a whole grain, has had just the indigestible outer husk removed. It's darker in color and has a little bit of a sheen. Pearled barley, also called pearl barley, is not a whole grain and isn't as nutritious. It has lost its outer husk and its bran layer, and it has been polished.

Overcooked barley will become mushy, while undercooked may have a thicker and chewier texture. You can make barley as a side dish, but you can also cook it into your food. Feel free to cook our pearled barley in your favorite soup or stew, but be mindful that it will absorb a lot of liquid.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

MAKING BEEF BARLEY SOUP AHEAD OF TIME

This soup is great to make ahead of time, with one modification. Since the barley can absorb too much of the liquid when made ahead, and get mushy, I find it best to cook the barley separately. Make as directed, just omitting the barley.

In Soups and Stews

Keep in mind that barley, whether pearled or hulled, absorbs roughly three times its measured amount of liquid, so 1 cup of barley would require 3 cups of broth to cook properly. Because of this, you may need to adjust the brothiness of your soup or stew depending on how much barley you want to add.

Barley takes a bit longer to cook (20-30 minutes), but retains it's shape and texture way better than any other soup carb that I've tried. It doesn't have a strong noticeable flavour, has a lot more nutrition, and holds up after multiple days in the fridge without turning to mush.

After you've measured it out, simply allow the barley to cook under a soft boil until the water is absorbed. This takes around 40 minutes. Once the barley has cooked fully, it will be soft yet chewy. Overcooked barley will become mushy, while undercooked may have a thicker and chewier texture.