Soup's On

It's days like today that make me loathe living in Georgia. It's November 18th and it's 74 degrees outside. Fuck it, I'm soldiering on with my hearty, cold-weather fare. Tonight I made Meatball Mushroom Barley Soup. It made me want to throw on my scarf and mittens.

The Soup Recipe:

4 c. beef stock
1 c. water
1 c. pearl barley or farro
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (or a sprig of fresh)
1 lb. mixed mushrooms, sliced (NOT those god-awful white ones)
1/2 a medium onion
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1 egg
2 tbs. panko
2 tbs. grated cheese (Reggiano or Grana Padano)
3 tbs. Italian parsley

In a big pot add stock, water, thyme and barley. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 min. In a separate skillet add olive oil and bring to med-high heat. Add onion and the mushrooms. I like a good mixture of flavor and texture, so I use about a 1/4 c. of dried porcinis reconstituted in some boiling water, creminis and shiitakes. Season the mixture and cook until mushrooms are browned. In a bowl, combine ground sirloin, panko (or other dry breadcrumbs), egg, cheese, and 1 tbs. parsley. Mix until just combined and roll into about 18-20 mini meatballs. Once the barley is done cooking, add the mushroom mixture and the meatballs to the soup and cook until meatballs are done, about 10 min. At this point I add a generous splash of Sherry to the pot to tie up the flavors. Chop up the parsley and add to the pot. Stir and serve.