Mushrooms & Barley Stew

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• ½ medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced (to match the onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lb mixed variety mushrooms, like button, shiitake, baby bellas, or oyster, sliced ¼ inch thick
• ¼ c red wine
• 2 T soy sauce, divided
• ½ c pearl barley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 c vegetable stock (one 32-oz box)
• 3 T fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottom stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until they have released their juices and are browned.

Add red wine and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half. Add barley, thyme, and bay leaf, sautéing for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. (If soup seems too thick, more broth can be added to thin it out.)

Before serving, remove thyme stems (leaves will come off during cooking) and bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle stew with chopped parsley before serving.

Variation: Stir in ¼ cup sour cream just before serving for a creamy stew; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for an added punch of flavor. Substitute farro or wheat berries for the barley.

VERDICT: There is a lot to love about this recipe. 1) Not a lot of chopping. 2) It calls for red wine, which is a nice excuse to open a bottle. 3) It used up the fresh thyme I had lying around in the fridge. AND...it's delicious! Silky and umami-y. Makes a reasonable 4 servings. Keep!