Cover 1/4 to 1/2 cup barley with 3 cups cold water and set aside. Prepare 8 cups meat
stock or court bouillon the normal way but add 4 to 5 presoaked, dried Polish mushrooms.
The vegetables should be diced. Drain the soaked barley (discarding the water) and add to
soup.
Add 2 peeled, diced, raw potatoes and simmer until barley and potatoes are tender. If
using soup bones, remove any meat found thereon, dice, and return to soup. If using court
bouillon (meatless vegetable stock), add 2 Tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt
& pepper and garnish with a little freshly chopped dill and parsley. The amount of
barley depends on the thickness you prefer. Prepare only as much as you can eat in one
day, because refrigerating turns this soup into a thick porridge.
