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.

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.

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.

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.

Can barley be substituted with farro?

This delicious and healthy soup recipe will get five stars from me when i use half the amount of barley. i had to add 6 cups more water with this much barley and it diluted the flavor a bit. The barley dominated the flavor of the other fine ingredients (including our home-grown fresh oyster mushrooms).

Super amazing. I sauteed fresh mushrooms as directed but also used some dried mushrooms that I soaked in water to make mushroom broth. I added the soaked mushrooms with the mushroom broth in step 3, and added a splash of soy sauce and a couple of cloves of crushed garlic at the same time. In addition to criminis, I also used sh*take and blue oyster mushrooms. After the spinach had cooked, I turned off the heat and added the miso and a splash more soy to taste.

SO quick & easy!!! Complex flavors. I used turnip greens in lieu of spinach & tossed in a small roasted chicken breast (diced). Thanks to a prior comment, I used 2 quarts of vegetable broth not one and it was a perfect consistency. A Wonderful soup!! Enough to feed the masses. Thanks NYT!

This soup is an umami bomb in a good way, everyone loved it. We used homemade chicken stock since we had no vegetable stock. Also, I don’t think the added tablespoon of soy sauce is needed. The miso gives it a perfect salt balance.

Didn't have all the exact ingredients but swapped in homemade chicken bone broth, leeks, a mushroom blend (sh*takes and bellas), Tuscan kale, and Trader Joe's Harvest Blend (couscous, quinoa, and split garbanzo beans). Added some leftover roast chicken I had after making Eric Kim's recent recipe and topped it off with some Wasabi hot sauce. It was downright tasty if I do say so myself. Thanks for the inspiration and excellent way to use up leftovers!

Please recommend a store bought vegetable broth. Would the flavour be elevated by adding ginger, and garlic?

What’s the best sub for barley? I have celiac.

This soup was so good and so easy to make. I added the miso after cooking to retain its nutritional value, and used a small yellow onion to replace the green onions. My husband asked if I could make this every week. Really tasty!

Nice depth of flavor, didn't use lime

Instead of spinach I used baby bokchoy and chrysanthemum leaves. It was delicious. I add the miso just before serving in order not to cook it and destroy the healthy flora.

This was delicious! Will make again often. Thanks for the tip about dissolving the Miso.

This was delicious. Appreciated the tip about mixing the miso with some broth before adding to the soup—blended right in without lumps. I did need to add some extra salt and tamari but aside from that, it was perfect. Served with warm bialys.

Made this last night with 50/50 mix of cremini and sh*take mushrooms, white onions (didn't have scallions in the fridge), vegan be'f broth (Gardein brand) and I added a can of garbanzo beans for a little extra protein. Delish!!! The lime added a nice acidic brightness. Will make again adding tofu.

Just a little bland - likely on me. Withheld salt as I was concerned about miso/soy saltiness.