Hearty winter Russian beef soup recipe with barley and mushrooms

Russian cuisine is large and diverse and includes many countries in the former USSR. This comforting, homestyle soup is not the most popular or traditional, but uses common flavors found throughout the region. You can make this soup in a crockpot or on the stovetop or in the oven. Try to search out authentic ingredients in a specialty grocery store, including the dried porcini, hulless barley, coriander seed, and pomegranate seeds (use sour cherry or plum jam if you can’t find fresh pomegranate).

Russian Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup

Makes 4 servings

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

3/4 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon oil

3/4 pound beef shank or 1½ cups leftover diced cooked beef

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 small carrot, peeled and diced

1 small stalk celery, diced

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup hulless barley

1 inch piece of ginger or several mint leaves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4-6 cups water or beef stock (preferably homemade), or a combination

For garnish:

1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

1-2 tablespoons minced dill pickle

Zest from 1/4 lemon or pomegranate seeds (or both)

1. Cover dried mushrooms with 3/4 cup boiling water and soak 20-30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and reserve the mushroom soaking liquid, leaving behind any sand or grit. Chop the mushrooms finely and set aside.
2. Heat oil in dutch oven. Brown beef shank in hot oil, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer beef to a large dish.
3. Add butter to hot pan. Sauté onion, carrot and celery until they soften, 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables to the beef.
4. Sauté mushrooms in same pan, 8-10 minutes, or until water has steamed off and mushrooms have browned lightly. Add mushrooms to beef and vegetables.
5. Add barley to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, or until barley browns lightly.
6. Return meat and vegetables to dutch oven. Add ginger, herbs, spices, 4 cups water, and chopped mushrooms and their liquid from step 1. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove; reduce heat to low, cover and cook slowly on the stovetop or place in a preheated 350°F for 2-3 hours, or until beef is very tender. Alternatively, the ingredients can be transferred to a crockpot to cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, or until beef is very tender.
7. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle; then shred or dice the meat and return to the soup. Add additional water, if needed. Stir over medium-high heat until ingredients are hot throughout. Serve garnished with herbs, pickle, and lemon.

Variations: Instead of beef shank, you may substitute 1 to 1½ cups leftover cooked beef or one can (14-16 ounces) pinto or red beans. If using cooked meat or beans, the soup only needs to simmer for 50-60 minutes, or until barley is tender. You may also use wheat berries or rice in place of barley.