MUSHROOM-BARLEY SOUP

Grrrrrgh!
Course : Soups
From: HungryMonster.com
Serves: 8
 

Ingredients:

1 ounce dried mushrooms
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion -- minced
1/4 cup barley -- fine
6 cups chicken broth, fat free
1 piece black pepper
2 small potato -- peeled and diced
2 whole carrots -- peeled and dices
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 Cup sour cream, nonfat
1 whole bay leaf
 

Preparation:

Soak mushrooms in hot water for 20-30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve -- reserving the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and set aside. In a sauce pan saute the onion in butter unti soft, add the chopped mushrooms, carrot, barley, reserved mushroom liquid, chicken stock and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add potatoes and bay leaf. Cover and let simmer 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the sour cream (e yeball it). reheat sop but do not let it boil -- garnish with a pinch of dill weed before serving. NOTES : To add sour cream, stir a little of the of soup into cream, then a little more, then stir all together. Otherwise, the cream lumps into white globules -- most unattractive!