Zingerman's ann arbor mushroom and barley soup

1 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
2tablespoonsDried porcini mushrooms
2tablespoonsMargarine
1largeOnion; thinly sliced
2Ribs celery with leaves; diced
¼cupParsley
1Carrot; peeled and sliced
3Cloves garlic; chopped
1poundsFresh porcini or other mushrooms
1tablespoonFlour
2quartsBeef broth or water
1cupWhole barley
2teaspoonsSalt

Directions

When I first heard about Ari Weinzweig's delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I couldn't believe it. A deli in the home of my alma mater. It's not really a deli but more of an international food emporium like New York's Zabar's with a definite Jewish touch. Mr. Weinzweig, a drop-out Ph.D. candidate, has taken an academic and appetizing interest in updating Jewish recipes like mushroom and barley soup, going back in history to the nineteenth-century Eastern European version similar to that served at New York's Second Avenue Deli.

1. Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for a half hour. Strain through a filter. Reserve the water.

2. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms.

3. Melt the margarine in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.

5. In a soup pot heat the broth or water. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring.

6. Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water and barley.

Stir well and add salt to taste.

7. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened, stirring often.

8. Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings (P) or (M) Jewish Cooking in America Joan Nathan Posted to recipelu-digest by Sandy <sandysno@...> on Feb 25, 1998