I found some black barley in my pantry so I came up with this recipe. Black barley is delicious and chewy while the porcini mushrooms add a beautiful earthiness to the stock. Then I finished it with some winter vegetables like parsnip and kale. The final touch was a dill cream dollop that can added in upon serving. Serve with some cornbread and a salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 onion, minced

1 cup diced carrots

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

8 oz. shiitake or other fresh mushrooms, sliced

7 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup dried black beans, rinsed and picked over

3/4 cup black barley

2 sticks of celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 large parsnips cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 head kale, cut into rough pieces

sea salt and pepper to taste

Dill Sour Cream:

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

Soak the porcini in the boiling water for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain through a paper lined sieve. Save the soaking liquid and rinse and roughly chop the mushrooms.

Meanwhile in a pressure cooker, saute the onions and carrots in the olive oil until the onions are translucent and tender. Add in the mushrooms, mushroom soaking liquid, vegetable stock, beans and barley. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure. Cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Release the pressure with the quick release method. Add in the celery, parsnips, and kale. Lock on lid and bring back to high pressure and cook for 8 minutes longer. Release the pressure.

While soup is cooking, combine sour cream, dill, lemon juice and mustard.

Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle out 1/2 cup broth and mix in 2 tbsp. of the dill cream. Add that back into the soup. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream in the center.