Mushroom Paprikash Soup

I was lucky enough to get some beautiful fresh Shitake mushrooms a few days ago. I also had some Crimini mushrooms. With a chilly weekend ahead I decided to go with a soup.  I was thinking of a version of the mushroom soup I grew up with. It is normally made with dried mushrooms. I made some changes, like adding barley. I was also planning on adding sour cream. A friend mentioned a recipe she had with paprika added to a mushrooms. The Mushroom Paprikash Soup was born. We had it over the weekend and everyone really liked it. Here is the recipe. If you can’t find fresh Shitake Mushrooms feel free to use what fresh mushrooms you do have.

Mushroom Paprikash Soup

8 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms

8 oz. fresh crimini mushrooms

oil

2 onions, chopped

8 cups water

1 c. uncooked barley

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. sherry

2 T. honey

1 c. sour cream

2 T. paprika

1 T. hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Remove stems from mushrooms and wash thoroughly. In soup pot heat oil and add onions and mushroom stems and cook until golden brown. Add the water and simmer together for 30 minutes or longer to make a mushroom stock.  Meanwhile, wash and slice the mushroom caps. Strain stock, discard onions and stems and set aside. Put a little more oil in the soup pot and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute them for a few minutes. Return stock to soup pot with the mushrooms, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the barley, vinegar, sherry and honey and simmer, covered, for 40-50 minutes, or until barley is tender.  To prevent the sour cream from curdling place it in a small bowl and ladle in a little of the hot soup. Whisk until smooth and add a little more soup, whisking again. Add the sour cream mixture to the soup along with the rest of the seasonings. Adjust to your taste and serve. Serves 6.

Fresh shitake mushrooms

Shitake and Crimini Mushrooms