Mushroom Barley Soup (Pareve) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried mushroom
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup pearl barley
8 cups chicken stock or 8 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons parve mushroom soup mix
1/4 cup dry cooking sherry
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons potato starch
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
kosher salt
pepper

Preparation

Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 cup boiling water and let steep 20 minutes.
Drain, strain and reserve the liquid from the mushrooms.
Chop 2/3 of the fresh mushrooms finely.
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat.
Saute onions and carrots for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and saute 1 more minute.
Add fresh mushrooms and saute another 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high.
Add the barley and saute until the barley begins to color.
Add the broth, soup mix, potato starch, sherry, wine, reserved mushroom liquid and reconstituted mushrooms.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and add the thyme.
Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes or until the barley is tender.
Add the parsley and stir.
Add salt and pepper to taste.