Miso-Mushroom Barley Soup Recipe (2024)

To avoid the haphazard "seek out any miso clumps" step, put the miso and soy sauce into a soup bowl, add a ladle or so of the hot stock, and mix until it's all dissolved. Then pour it all back into the pot and stir until blended. From my experience, trying to find that tablespoon or so of miso in a pot takes much longer than blending it in a smaller bowl!

Easy and delicious. Next time I’ll add tofu cubes for protein.

There’s a technique I’ve seen in every single cooking video from Japan that involves dissolving miso in a liquid - it easily solves the clump issue. Use a small whisk to grab the miso you need for the recipe then partially immerse a small sieve/strainer into the broth. Whisk the miso INSIDE the sieve. As it dissolves it goes right through into the broth/liquid. No hunting for undissolved pieces that need whisking. Same trick works for Better Than Bullion which has a similar thick texture.

The ingredients list should be comprehensive so the total volume of liquid is shown. 2 cups of water changes the size of the pot required, it should be an ingredient. IMHO

Barley has more protein per 100g than tofu!

In Step 4 it's a lot easier to dissolve the miso by putting a cup of the soup liquid in a small bowl and dissolving the miso with a small whisk and then returning to the simmering soup. The Japanese say don't boil the miso as it kills many of the nutrients, so add at the end. 1 1/2 lb of mushrooms seems a lot for this size recipe. We shall see.

This was very good and not too fussy to make on a weekday. I used sh*take mushrooms as I didn't have crimini mushrooms. And I used vegetable bullion. I made a side of roasted brussel sprouts topped with pan toasted thin sliced almonds. Healthy and tasty.

I am not vegan, but I'm not averse to trying vegan recipes. This was really satisfying. I used 2/3 cremini and 1/3 shiitake based on the suggestion of another reviewer. I would definitely make this again.

Delightful - certainly not my mom’s mushroom and barley soup. Used 1# white mushrooms, 8 oz baby bella and decided to slice them. Perfect soup for a February weekend!

So simple yet delicious! Instant family favorite. Next time I’ll add a little extra barley to make it more stew like (& double the recipe - there were no leftovers!).

I just tried another mushroom-barley soup recipe last week that was tasty but lacked that umami savoriness. I thought the next time I make it I would add anchovies, didn't think about miso. Will try this recip next time! A tip for incorporating miso into soups; take a small wire mesh strainer and place the miso in the strainer and dunk it in the soup. Take your spoon and muddle it through the mesh. Japanese cooks use a strainer specifically designed for this that has a deep and narrow basket.

Wonderful as written but I'm wondering how it would be using broth made from dried mushrooms and throwing in those re-hydrated mushrooms into the soup. Plan on using this the day you make it or needing to add quite a bit of water the next day. The barley really soaks the liquid up overnight. The lime adds a nice touch.

Yum! I made this per the recipe with the exception of using Knorr mushroom broth cubes in place of the veggie broth. The depth of flavor is amazing, especially when you consider how simple the seasoning is. Miso is the secret ingredient to everything umami, IMO. Thx to the cook who suggested blending the miso with the soy - you'll never get the miso un-gobbed any other way. A little protein would be good, maybe some tofu next time.

Tasty, easy to prepare. Agree silken or other tofu would make it a hearty meal

This was even better the next day. I used red miso because it's what I had on hand, sliced the mushrooms and skipped the soy sauce because it was delicious without it.

it was good but not excellent. doubled the miso and soy sauce. no spinach so added frozen broccoli peas and string beans instead in the last 5 mins

Feed your gut and use hulled barley instead of pearled barley - or at least use pot barley which still has the bran. But pearl barley is fine too.

I swapped out spinach for Cavolo Nero, crushed chilli for fresh red chilli, barley for quinoa, the mushrooms in the recipe for Chestnut mushrooms and it is still absolutely delicious. I guessed the amounts and just used what I already had. This soup is one of the most lovely soups ever, it's a flexible, fabulous, recipe. When the basics of a recipe are sound, you can mess around with it and still get a hit. Love this!

I used chicken broth for more flavor

Made one change, used half vegetable broth and half mushroom broth. Served it with some firm tofu for added protein. Was very flavorful and so healthy.

I love this, and have added sautéed sausage

Easy to make for this newbie chef, but I found it a little bland. May add extra miso paste next time and additional crushed red pepper, just to give it a little extra flavor. Love how healthy and easy it is - the perfect guilt-free lunch!

I’ve always liked mushroom and barley soup. Maybe because I used red miso, which is what I had, but the flavor was overpowering and really awful.

I followed the basic instructions but then added more vegetables that I had on hand, plus I substituted kale from the garden for spinach. I also added a can of cannellini beans. It was delicious although next I will add a half cup more of barley!

We liked this a lot! Used collards instead of spinach because that’s what I had at hand, letting it cook with the soup for a while, and added silken tofu to make it more filling. Followed and appreciated advice here on dissolving miso - it took some stirring so I’m glad i did.

Added marmite to enhance mushrooms meaty tone, 1/2 barley & 1/2 kasha, & substituted kale for spinach. Very nice especially because it’s so easy to prepare. Preferred without lime as it dominated flavor profile.

This recipe intrigued me but I didn’t have all of the ingredients hand. I subbed farro for the barley, frozen kale for the spinach, and chicken broth for the veg broth. It was delicious and definitely benefitted from the big squeeze of lime at the end. I look forward to making it again but with the ingredients as listed.

Nicely easy to put together after working all day, quick, minimal chopping, and very satisfying result. I soaked my barley during the day in cold water. I've made a habit of soaking grains like farro and barley prior to cooking, after advised to do so by an organic grains and bean vendor at a farmers market, with good results.

Very tasty. Added tofu and some bacon. Upped the barley a bit. Half quantity made 3 portions

Leeks instead of spinach. Feta and toasted pine nuts instead of miso/soy sauce.