40 Meatless Meals: Farmhouse Vegetable Soup

Shown here with Basil Bread.

The mushrooms and soy sauce in this recipe combine in this recipe to lend a savoriness and body that is often lacking in vegetable-only soups. If you scrub the vegetables before paring, all of the peelings and ends (potatoes excepted) can be used for stock; keep a container close by as you do your chopping. I made a stock with only the scraps from this soup, half an onion, and a rather sad carrot, and it was one of the best stock pots I've ever put together. The leek greens can either go into the stock pot, or in tomorrow's macaroni and cheese.

With all of these lovely ingredients, I just couldn't resist a mise en place photo.

Source: Cooks Illustrated Nov & Dec 2011.

Serves 6-8.

• ⅛ oz dried porcini mushrooms, ground into a fine meal
• 8 sprigs fresh parsley plus 3 T chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T butter
• 1½ lbs leeks, light parts only, sliced ½" thick and washed
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½" pieces
• 2 ribs celery, cut into ¼" pieces
• ⅓ c dry white wine
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 6 c water
• 4 c vegetable broth
• ½ c pearl barley
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 1½ lbs gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½" pieces
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into ¾" pieces
• 1½ c chopped cabbage
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Using kitchen twine, tie together parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Melt butter in 6-quart or larger pot; add leeks, carrots, celery, wine, soy sauce, and 2 tsp salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and celery is softened, about 10 minutes.

Add water, broth, barley, herb bundle, garlic, and porcini powder (reserve remaining for another use); increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes.

Add potatoes, turnip, and cabbage; continue to simmer until tender and barley is cooked, 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and remove herb bundle. Stir in peas, lemon juice and remaining parsley; salt and pepper to taste.