This popular recipe for deli-style Mushroom Barley Soup with Flanken is easy, savory and comforting. It’s the ideal one pot entree for a chilly afternoon.
As a California native now living in Los Angeles, I consider it the height of absurdity to complain about the weather. We are blessed with seriously mild seasons here, and I actually look forward to that little bit of winter that creeps up on us at this time of year. Just a wisp of cold wind, a smattering of rain– barely enough to justify lighting up the fireplace and putting a pot of soup on the stove. I welcome this bit of dreariness in the middle of our seemingly endless summer. This weekend here we are, a barely-rainstorm drizzling away outside, and I’m craving the comfort of a hot bowl of Mushroom Barley Soup.
I usually make this deli-style soup vegan style, but once in a while my family craves the extra savory heartiness of meat. A few short ribs turn this thick and wintery soup into a rib-sticking meal. Dried mushrooms add an extra infusion of mushroom goodness to the already flavorful broth. I always add lots of black pepper, too. The barley slowly cooks to a thick, almost creamy finish. So much savory goodness in a one-pot meal… just right for an almost-winter weekend. I might even light up the fireplace!
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Food Photography Beauty Shots & Styling by Louise Mellor
Mushroom Barley Soup with Flanken
Ingredients
- 8 meaty short ribs (flanken), trimmed about 2 1/2 lbs
- 2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil or more as needed
- 6 dried mushrooms
- 1 pound white mushrooms scrubbed and sliced
- 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots about 2-3 medium carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery, including leaves about 3-4 stalks
- 1 whole large onion chopped
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 3 quarts low sodium chicken, beef or mushroom stock
- 1 1/4 cups pearl barley
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
NOTES
Instructions
- Rinse short ribs and pat dry. Generously salt and pepper them. With a knife, score the back side along the bone (this allows the meat to absorb more of the cooking liquid).
- In a large stockpot, heat 2 tbsp olive or grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Add shortribs and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes on each side.
- While the meat is browning, place dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 3 cups of hot water. Allow to soak for 20 minutes.
- Once the meat has finished browning, remove and set aside. Add roughly half of the white mushrooms to the stockpot and brown over medium high heat. Remove and set aside.
- Add remaining half of white mushrooms to the pan and brown, adding additional oil as needed. Add carrots, celery, onion and the rest of the browned mushrooms. Cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then reduce the heat to medium.
- By now the dried mushrooms will have softened. Drain the mushroom soaking water by straining it through a coffee filter or multiple layers of cheesecloth (use a mesh strainer or colander to hold the filter or cheesecloth) directly into the stockpot. Stir, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the liquid heats up.Give the soaked, softened mushrooms another quick rinse under running water to remove any remaining residue (wash carefully, grit can be hiding in the gills of the mushrooms). Chop the mushrooms into small pieces and add them to the stock pot.
- Add the chicken, beef or mushroom stock, barley, bay leaves and seared short ribs to the stockpot. Stir to combine all ingredients. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Allow soup to cook, uncovered, for 2 hours or until the barley and short ribs are completely tender and the soup is nicely thickened. Add water during the simmer if the soup becomes overly thick. After cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste. I use about 1 1/2 tsp salt and a heaping 1/4 tsp pepper. Use whatever amount of seasoning tastes best for you.
- Remove all of the short ribs from the soup and shred, then mix the meat back into the soup before serving. Alternatively you may serve whole short ribs on the bone, 1-2 per bowl of soup.
Toby says
Love this recipe. My husband’s 90-year Jewish grandmother gave it her seal of approval – which she almost never does. After making a few times – I’ve adjusted a little. I usually use 1/1.5 lbs flanken, add 2-3 diced potatoes, a little oregano when I sautee the vegetables and some fresh dill when its cooked about halfway through.
Maire Kushner says
Tori! We love this recipe and I have made it a number of times. So hamishe!
I made it today and have lots left over. Can it be frozen? I vacuum seal first…
Thanks for the great site and the wonderful recipes!
Maire
Stacy says
Can you make this in an instApot? I have made on the stove a few time but wondering about instapot
Tori Avey says
I’m sure you can, but I don’t have a specific adaptation available for this recipe. You’ll need to consult your manual’s instructions for converting recipes.
Rebecca says
What to do about the fat from the short ribs? Pour out before putting the ribs into the broth?
Tori Avey says
I usually use it to sauté the mushrooms, since there generally isn’t much in the pot. If you feel there is excessive fat you can drain it off, but you will need to use additional oil to sauté the vegetables.
Ruth Kleinfeld says
Bay leaves should be removed before serving
Otherwise great recipe!
ZG says
Fantastic! I made this tonight and it was so good. Thank you for this good as a deli recipe.
Nicola G says
This is simmering on the stove right now. So excited, Easy to prepare, now need patience while the magic happens. My SIL is sick with bronchitis and is waiting for me to bring her some too.
Jessica says
My husband lost his mind over this!! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Jessica says
How many cups in a serving? Thank you!
Gay N. Gooen says
It’s a cold, snowy day here in Maryland and I was looking for a flanken recipe like this. I remember if from my childhood. Will try it now. Many thanks!
Judith Calica says
Hi! Made this once before. DElish! Making it again. Added a bit of dried tyme. Like it with a braised beef. Love the smell while it cooks. The barley makes it hardy. Perfect for a cold winter’s night! A piece of crusty bread…and a great meal is yours!
Mark Shyman says
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY in the 1940s and 50s. My late mother was not the world’s greatest cook. When my brother and I were told we were having Flanken for dinner we derisively laughed, “Oh yeah, gray meat!” It was. I just moved into an ethnically Jewish neighborhood. The Supermarket had Flanken on the meat shelf! I searched for a recipe. Your’s sounds great! But do you have any idea why Mom’s turned out gray? Maybe she didn’t brown it? Thanks from a new subscriber.
Tori Avey says
Hi Mark! Yes, most likely your mom didn’t brown it first. If simply boiled or simmered it will have a greyish-brown appearance. Definitely brown it first, which adds flavor and depth to the broth!
RandiSusan Mallory says
@MarkShyman I make this all the time (for at least 5 decades) in my pressure cooker (once hat jiggles, reduce to a slow jiggle & cook for 1 hour) . It looks like Tory uses SHORT RIBS instead of short ribs CUT INTO FLANKEN. There is no need to braise them (The FLANKEN STRIPS). I pop them into the pot and you get those little crescent bones when the meat falls off of them AND Zhedie used to suck the Marrow out of them too!).
Don’t forget to add Dried Lima Beans and two medium potatoes cut into quarters for a thicker and heartier soup. I use Fresh Baby Bellas and White Cap mushrooms. Don’t forget Fresh Rye Bread and Margerine to enjoy with the soup 🙂
Marisa Gillen says
Fantastic! Made this today. This was my grandma’s recipe. We just had a blizzard. Perfect for a cold, cold day. PS I ground black Kampoc pepper and Grains of Paradise instead of plain black pepper. It ups flavor in a magical way. Thanks for bringing back my childhood?
Susan says
I’m making it right now. I couldn’t find pearl barley…so I’m using quick cooking barley. On the box it says to simmer in boiling water for 10-12 minutes so I will add it at the end. Hope it comes out good…it smells delicious!
Amy says
The meat wasn’t tender enough for me. Next time I make this recipe, I’ll cook the beef in the broth, shred, then add the sauteed veg and barley to the soup and meat to avoid overcooked veg. Very tasty! Love the dried mushroom flavor in the stock.
DonaldJRump says
Tip: If the meat isn’t tender, cook until tender.
leah says
i agree i should of listen to my husband cook the meat with the vegetables for the 2 hours and than add for 1 hour the barley, like i make Fasulia ( Egyptian white bean stew or soup)
Lynn Reno Pellitteri says
Very delicious soup. Made it for a soup party I had and everyone loved it.
annefmoreno says
Good recipe. I loved it.
Carol Janssen says
Hi, Help, I’m confused! Can you please clarify what kind of short ribs I should use for this recipe? In one of Tori’s other recipes, “Corky’s Oven Barbecued Ribs”, it says to use the Flanken cut ribs which are longer and look flatter. The recipe for the “Mushroom Barley Soup with Flanken” also says to use Flanken, but the ribs in the picture look shorter and wider, like a different cut of short ribs. I’d love to make this soup, but not sure which ribs to buy. I did look at some ribs like those shown in the above pictures, but they were very fatty, so didn’t buy them. (Also, is it better to let them sit overnight in fridge after being cooked so the excess fat can be removed the next day)?
I’d appreciate it if you can let me know what I should get! Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Tori Avey says
Hi Carol– flanken and short ribs are essentially the same cut of meat, cut in different ways. The other recipe you’re referring to requires that the ribs be cut flanken style, or across the bone. In this recipe, while you can use either cut, I prefer to use separated ribs, which are also easier to find. Some people (particularly in the Jewish community) refer to all short ribs as flanken, which is why it’s referenced in the ingredients. Fatty ribs are fine, they will give the soup lots of flavor. If you’re worried about excess fat, you could also some cut up chunks of chuck roast, which are leaner. They won’t give the broth quite as much flavor as the bone-in ribs will, but it will still be a very tasty soup. Good luck!
Sharon says
Hi. Just had to add another post…..feel like I have finally ‘cracked the code’ to true deli style thick beef barley soup….used about 12-13 cups liquid, and it is still simmering. Added in some split peas for small part of the barley and the split peas are still hard. Also added some catsup, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in the beginning for some zing. This is so good, will give some to my son and even have some to freeze. Thanks for your site, and even making this way after this was written, it is still great.
Sharon says
Hi. Making this today….pretending we have a winter here in San Diego even though it will warm up a bit thru next week! Anyway, is there really 15 cups of liquid in the recipe (3 C to soak dry mushrooms, strain thru to pot and then 3 qts of broth?) Does it cook down a bit? Thanks.
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Sharon, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! This soup thickens quite a bit as it simmers, so you need a good amount of liquid to start with. The amount of liquid in the recipe is correct as written.