Winter Vegetable Soup with Black Barley
If you havent yet stocked your cupboard with black barley, you can make this soup with wheat berries. But I encourage you to mail-order black barley (see note) for its gorgeous color, chewy texture and nutty taste. As the soup cooks, the cabbage becomes meltingly tender and thickens the…
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If you havent yet stocked your cupboard with black barley, you can make this soup with wheat berries. But I encourage you to mail-order black barley (see note) for its gorgeous color, chewy texture and nutty taste. As the soup cooks, the cabbage becomes meltingly tender and thickens the broth. The mustard cream stirred in at the end adds memorable flavor and gives the humble ingredients an aristocratic finish.
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas
- 1/2 cup black barley or wheat berries, rinsed
- 1 lb. cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
- 2 large ribs celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices (1 cup)
- 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Dilled mustard cream
- 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard, preferably coarse grain, plus more to taste
- 3 Tbs. chopped fresh dill or 1 1/2 sp. dried
- 1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 cup diced, peeled carrot
- 1/2 oz. (1/2 cup loosely packed) dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
Preparation
Put dried mushrooms in small bowl and pour boiling water over top. Cover and let steep until mushrooms are soft, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in cooker over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Lower heat if the vegetables begin to brown during this period.
Using slotted spoon remove softened mushrooms and chop any large pieces. Pour mushroom broth into cooker, taking care to leave any sandy residue on the bottom of bowl. Add mushrooms, vegetable broth, black-eyed peas, and barley.
Lock lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Quick-release pressure. Remove lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape.
Stir in cabbage, celery, parsnips, and salt. Return to high pressure and cook 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, make Dilled Mustard Cream. In medium bowl, mix sour cream, mustard, dill and lemon juice. Add more mustard or lemon juice to taste. Set aside.
After 8 minutes, quick-release pressure. Remove lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape. Ladle out about 1/2 cup of broth and blend in 2 tablespoons of Dilled Mustard Cream. Stir this mixture back into soup. Taste soup and add a generous amount of pepper and more salt, if needed. Ladle soup into large bowls and spoon a dollop of Dilled Mustard Cream in the center of each portion.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 204
- Carbohydrate Content 36 g
- Cholesterol Content 10 mg
- Fat Content 4 g
- Fiber Content 11 g
- Protein Content 5 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 288 mg
- Sugar Content 0 g