A Shitake mushroom, barley, veggie blend makes the base for this classic. Add a handful of fresh mushrooms and sherry, if desired.

Mushroom Barley Soup Mix Ingredients:

Barley flakes, shitake mushroom, onion, red pepper, carrot, Italian parsley, dry mustard and spices.

Allergen Information: Contains wheat.

Additions:

• 1/2 to 1 lb. sliced, fresh mushrooms (any variety)
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: 1/2 lb. ground beef (chuck or round)

Recipe Directions:

1. In a 3 or 4-qt pot, gently sauté mushrooms in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in contents of Pennsylvania Woodlands Mushroom Barley Soup Mix.
3. Add broth, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add pepper to taste and serve!

New Nutrition Tips:

• To boost vegetables, add 1 cup additional mushrooms and 1/2 cup each sliced celery and carrots when sautéing mushrooms in first step of the recipe.  Or to vary vegetables, along with the additional cup of mushrooms try adding 1 cup chopped bok choy or frozen green lima beans.
• To boost whole grains, add 1/2 cup whole grain quinoa with soup mix and an additional cup of water.
• To give a Mediterranean twist, in final 5 minutes of cooking time add 12 ounces cut up salmon or firm white fish as substitute for optional ground beef.
• To cut saturated fat, prepare with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter rather than 2 tablespoons butter to sauté vegetables. Skip optional ground beef or prepare with extra lean ground beef. For the Inventive Variations suggestion on the website and package, prepare with 1 pound extra lean ground beef or turkey rather than veal or pork blend. 
• To cut sodium, prepare with low sodium broth. To cut sodium further, substitute water for half of the broth.

Inventive Variation:

For a delicious mushroom meatloaf, blend soup mix with 2 beaten eggs and 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato juice or beef broth. Add 1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef or beef/veal/pork blend and thoroughly mix by hand. Shape into an oblong and bake at 350°F in a meatloaf pan for 1 hour. Slice and serve.