My mom really wasn’t a great cook, which I sometimes think is why I was so interested in food and cooking. She had four kids and making dinner every night was not a thrill for her, to say the least. But she did have her specialties like barbecued steak and great California salads. And this delicious soup is the taste memory I think about and make when it’s cold and I’m feeling nostalgic. I prepare a pot of this and invite friends to stop by and have a casual dinner.

This hearty reinterpretation of my mom’s mushroom barley and flanken soup is chock-full of both pungent dried mushrooms and fresh cremini and shitake mushrooms. Feel free to select your favorite dried mushroom to create your personal stamp; follow the same soaking directions.

Flanken is the short rib that is sliced across the bones into thin strips. It adds another layer of flavor for sure. Also, the touch of soy sauce amplifies the mushroom flavor.

This substantial dish is a meal on its own. A simple green salad would be a nice accompaniment.

Mushroom, Barley and Flanken Soup

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound beef flanken, 1/2-inch thick, about 4to 6 slices

2 onions, finely chopped

1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup pearl barley

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 ounce dried porcini or morel mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon reduced salt soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the flanken on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pot and reserve on a plate.

2. Add the onion and leek and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the celery, carrot, and shiitake and cremini mushrooms, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the barley, reserved flanken and stock, stir together and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the barley is tender but not mushy.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in the boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms dry and cut them into 1/4-inch cubes. Set aside. Strain the reserved liquid through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any grit.

4. When the barley is cooked, add 3/4 cup of the strained liquid to the soup or to taste (reserve the remainder for another use or discard) along with the dried mushrooms pieces, soy sauce and parsley and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove flanken with tongs and cut into small pieces, discarding the gristle and bone, and return to the soup pot. Taste for seasoning.

5. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Serve immediately.

Advance preparation: The dish can be prepared up to three days ahead through Step 4, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat gently. This soup also freezes well for up to one month. Adjust the seasonings when you reheat the frozen soup.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)

©2025 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.