Instructions: Make a classic broth with onion, carrot and celery, cold water, peppercorn and herb blend to taste. The herb blend should contain savory. Spice Islands Bouquet Garni is a good choice: oregano, summer savory, marjoram, rosemary, basil, sage, thyme, dill weed, tarragon. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours; strain. Add water to obtain 3-cups broth. Return broth to a soup/sauce pan.

Add mushrooms and barley to the broth and simmer on low. Meanwhile, soften the onion, celery, and carrot in butter until slightly caramelized (carrot will taste of sugar): do not brown. Add these vegetables to the soup. Add salt, to taste. When the barley is cooked, stir in the parsley. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Description: "Lots of bite from peppercorns without the grit of ground pepper. No garlic."

Yield: "4 cups"

Serving Ideas : with sandwiches; or as first course

NOTES : Peppery soup with a hint of creamery butter.

my rendition of a soup from a local cafe. I rinsed the barley in hot tap water to remove some of the starch. The goal is to not mush-cook the barley. They probably precook the barley at the cafe. The soup shouldnt have a glutinous, starchy or cloudy broth. Allow minimum 2 hours (about) to prepare: broth to soup.

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