Mushroom Barley Soup with Flanken… Just the way my mom always made it! Walk into any Jewish deli and you will find Mushroom barley soup on the menu. If you are lucky, it will have flanken (short ribs for the unfamiliar). That’s the way my mom always made it. If you don’t live near a Jewish Deli (like me here in the Midwest – miles and miles, and miles away) don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Even though the sun is shining today, and even though Passover is just a couple of weeks away and you are trying to rid your house of breads and grains, I am going to share my mother’s recipe with you! It’s super easy, tastes great and is so satisfying; it’s a meal all on its own. With this never-ending winter I think I have made this soup at least a dozen times and once you try it, you will too. Why have I made it so much?
In Ohio, we can get every type of weather all in one day – I kid you not. Last Thursday for example, I woke up and the sun was shining. It was quickly replaced by clouds, a mist of rain and then fog set in. As I drove to an appointment, it was hailing so badly I wondered if it would ruin my car. The worst of it was the white out of snow! Really?! By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was get in my pajamas, get under my covers and warm up (preferably with a steaming hot bowl of soup and an old movie on television). It was a Meshugah (me-shu-ga) day for sure! FYI… meshugah is Yiddish for crazy or nuts!
The only thing keeping me going was the thought of the mushroom barley soup with flanken I had waiting for me at home. It’s hearty like a stew, satisfying, and not too heavy. It’s the kind of soup which my mother would say will warm your bones. And while it does warm my bones, it also warms my heart thinking about how my mom would spend the day in the kitchen cooking for us.
If you can’t find flanken, brisket or stew meat will work equally well. It’s an easy soup that just simmers away without much babysitting needed. This soup can be made without the meat as well with much less cooking time and all in one pot. I’ll include the directions at the bottom of the recipe. If you go vegetarian, omit the wine. BTW… the wine is my splash on my mother’s recipe and I use Manischewitz because it’s always on hand and I love to cook with it. Feel free to use another cooking wine if you like. Lastly, you can also adjust the amount and type of mushrooms you add. While this recipe makes a large quantity, a half recipe can easily be made and it freezes very well. So while the sun may be shining today, and you are busy cleaning, you can enjoy a bowl while prepping your house for the holiday (insert smiley emoji here)! Let me know how it comes out! Enjoy! p.s. it’s still freezing cold here in Ohio!
This soup makes about 10 to 12 servings and can easily be cut in half
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I like Imagine brand low sodium no-chicken broth)
4 cups of water
3 pounds of flanken (brisket or stew meat would work well also)
1 large onion diced (2 cups)
3 cups of carrots sliced into 1/2” rounds
2 cups celery sliced
1 cup pearled barley
16 to 20 ounces baby bella mushrooms cleaned well and sliced
4 ounces shitake mushrooms cleaned well and sliced
4 ounces oyster mushrooms cleaned well and sliced
½ cup Manischewitz wine (any flavor – I use whatever is on hand)
4 cloves of garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 bay leaves
small bunch of fresh dill (about ½ cup) tied with string
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the flanken and cook over medium-high heat. If you leave the slices whole, brown them on each side. If you use brisket, cut the meat into 1 or 1½“cubes. I had the butcher cut the flanken off the bone and I browned it on all sides in batches. My mother always left it whole and then fished out the bones. That’s not for me but feel free to make it this way if you like.
In a large stockpot, add the broth and water and bring it to a boil. As each batch of meat is browned, add it to the stockpot. Bring it to a boil then when all of the meat is in the pot, lower the heat and simmer covered for at least 2 hours or until the flanken starts to become tender. While that is cooking prep the rest of your ingredients.
Once the meat comes out of the pan, add ½ cup of wine and deglaze the pan (click on this link to learn more about deglazing) making sure to scrape up all of the crispy bits on the bottom. Pour this off into a cup and set aside.
Into the same frying pan, add ½ tablespoon of oil into the pan and stir in the onion. Lower the heat to medium and cook stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent– about 10 minutes. Then add the celery, garlic and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Place the vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
Add another ½ tablespoon of oil into the pan and add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté until they have reduced by half also about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the mushrooms in the pan.
After the meat has cooked for two hours, add the barley, vegetables, mushrooms, bay leaf, dill, salt and pepper. Simmer an additional hour or until the meat is very tender. Add the wine and cook another 10 minutes then all that’s left to do is Enjoy!
For the vegetarian version:
In a large stockpot (about 8 quart) add 1 tablespoon of oil into the pot and stir in the onion. Lower the heat to medium and cook stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent– about 10 minutes. Then add the celery, garlic and carrots and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Heat a 10 or 12” frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté until they have reduced by half about 10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, broth, water, barley, bay leaf, dill, and pepper to the stockpot. Bring the soup to a boil then cover and lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the barley is tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.