Barley, lentil and Mushroom soup

2 tbsp olive oil
3 large shallots, minced
2-3 large cloves of garlic minces, more if you like lots of garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
3-4 cups carrots, chopped (to taste) (I add that much because I did not have any celery)
3/4 cup pearl barley
3/4 cup dry lentils
1/3 cup dried porcini or shitaki mushrooms, rinsed (optional)
2 quarts low-sodium broth, beef, chicken or a combination of both
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley, oregano and 2tsp of basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cups sliced mushrooms
3-4 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
a few dashes of hot sauce (optional), I used Frank's hot sauce with lime
extra water, to thin the soup out

Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots and garlic; cook and stir until onions are limp, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in the celery and carrot; cook for another 5 minutes. Add the barley and lentils and the remaining oil, stirring so they are coated with oil. Continue to cook and stir until lightly toasted.
Pour in the broth and season with thyme, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add the porcini mushrooms, cover and simmer for 25 minutes over low heat. Add the button mushroom, cover and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in balsamic vinegar and spinach, during the last 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning and add hot sauce if needed before serving. I add 1-3 cups of water to thin it out, it is still tasty but you may need to add more vinegar and hot sauce.
Additional add-ins: sweet potato, turnip or potato, cubed, add when adding mushrooms. 1 can of tomatoes, I prefer stewed tomatoes can be added when adding mushrooms as well. Instead of spinach, add bok-choy. It is a versitile soup so you can use whatever is in your fridge.



Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LAKER97.