With the grain theme in mind, Minoo prepared a Mushroom, Barley and Lentil Soup in the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen.

The Mushroom, Barley and Lentil Soup is a one pot meal that are very hearty and certainly very filling. Minoo made it rather thick and it’s more like a porridge to me. This will be a vegetarian dish if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.

Ingredients

• 4 cups good chicken or beef stock
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 cup mixed lentils
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup diced parsnip
• 1/2 cup cloud ear fungus, reconstituted and chopped
• 1 pound fresh button mushroom (or any kind of your preference), sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dill, chives or parsley, chopped

Please note: parsley should be in place of the cilantro; ingredient got mixed up.

Source: this recipe is adapted from Kevin Turner

Instructions

Soak the pearl barley and lentils with cold water for 20 minutes.

In a stock pot,on medium heat, saute onions with 1 tablespoon oil until translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.

Add carrots and parsnips and stir fry for another minute.

Drain the pearl barley and lentils, add to the stock pot.

Add the chicken stock.

Preferably, we should fry the mushrooms with the onions and garlic at the beginning but somehow we left them out and added them in later.

Add water to the stock pot and bring it to a boil. Cook the soup for 30 to 45 minutes more or until everything is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the herbs, Ladle into warmed soup bowls and top with more chopped herbs and sour cream if desired.