Active Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour
Beginner
In a medium heavy bottom pot add the water and barley. Bring the water to a boil and cover. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow it to sit for another 10 minutes while still covered.
Pour the mixture into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to a minute.
Slowly sprinkle in the Tara gum and blend until completely dispersed.
Strain this mixture through a 100 micron super bag.
Set aside until needed later in this recipe.
If you have any mushrooms that are especially dirty use a pastry brush to dust off any dirt. Do not wash mushrooms as they quickly become waterlogged.
Rough chop the mushrooms, do not spend too much time on this as the soup will later be pureed.
In a medium heavy bottom pot place all the mushrooms. Tie the thyme, rosemary, and sage into a bundle so it can be removed easily. Add the salt and pepper as well.
Cover and place over low heat. The mushrooms will quickly start to release their liquid. You do not need any oil for this, the salt and heat will do all the work.
Allow the mixture to cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to check the progress of the mushroom jus.
Once the mushrooms have created a nice jus, remove the herbs and pour the mushrooms and jus into a blender.
Blend to your liking, we prefer some bits of texture with the mushroom. If you prefer it to be completely smooth you can continue blending for 2 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms from the blender and place them back into the pan along with the barley cream.
Bring this mixture to a simmer.
Garnish with fresh herbs and a drizzle of your favorite flavorful oil, serve immediately.