Dad’s Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 10 dried mushrooms
• 5 cups chicken broth, divided
• 4 cups water
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup pearl barley, or more to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions

Rinse mushrooms and place in a bowl with enough cold water to cover; soak until mushrooms are re-hydrated, about 15 minutes. Drain and slice mushrooms.

Combine 4 cups chicken broth, water, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, barley, and black pepper in a pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until barley is cooked, about 1 hour.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion and garlic in hot oil until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic to barley mixture, bring soup again to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Whisk remaining chicken broth and flour together in a bowl until smooth; stir into soup, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens, about 15 minutes.