Mushroom and barley soup

Serves 4

200g pearl barley

40g butter

200g onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

salt and pepper

200g Swiss brown mushrooms, chopped finely

850ml chicken stock

80ml sherry

250g field mushrooms, sliced

extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish

Cook barley in 1.5 litres of water for an hour, strain and reserve. Melt butter and fry onion until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook together. Add Swiss browns and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add barley, stock and sherry to the onion mixture. Cook for 20 minutes. Saute the field mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil, seasoning with salt and add to the barley and stock. Cook for about 10 minutes and season with black pepper. Serve topped with chopped parsley.