Root Vegetable & Barley Soup with Bacon
If you store this for more than a day, the barley will absorb some of the liquid and you'll need to thin it with a little water when you reheat it.
Ingredients
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1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
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2 medium cloves garlic
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Kosher salt
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4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
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2 medium red onions, chopped
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2 small bay leaves
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3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
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1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
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Freshly ground black pepper
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2 quarts lower-salt chicken broth
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5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
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2 medium purple-top turnips, peeled and cut into small dice
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2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
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3/4 cup pearl barley, picked over, rinsed, and drained
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4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
1.
In small bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and pour the liquid through a fine strainer to remove any grit. Reserve the liquid. Rinse the mushrooms, chop them, and set aside.
2.
Chop the garlic, sprinkle it with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and then mash it to a paste with the side of a chef's knife. Set aside.
3.
In a 6-quart (or larger) Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, crumble when cool, and set aside.
4.
Add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste, bay leaves, caraway seeds, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped mushrooms, mushroom liquid, chicken broth, carrots, turnips, potatoes, barley, and 1-1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; skim any foam as necessary. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley and vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and discard the bay leaves. Serve garnished with the bacon.
5.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Recommended Recipe:
Barley Minestrone
This rendition of the classic Italian vegetable and bean soup uses barley instead of pasta. Simmering a piece of the rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano in the soup is a traditional way of adding flavor. When you finish off a wedge of Parmigiano, just stash the rind in the freezer so you always have it on hand when you need it.
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