Cancer-fighting superheroes: barley, kale, mushrooms

I like to experiment with different kinds of grains but I’ve never been particularly attracted to barley. Which is funny, since barley is considered one of the all-time healthiest grains (in fact, one of the all-time healthiest foods) that nature gives us. It’s kind of the grain equivalent of the egg.

It’s high in fiber and helps your body digest sugars slowly (especially beneficial if you are diabetic). It provides the eight essential protein-building amino acids that your body needs to stay in tiptop health. It moves food quickly and efficiently through your digestive tract, keeping it nice and clean and cancer-free. It protects your heart by providing healthful cholesterol and helping eliminate unhealthy cholesterol.

So, that’s all good. I guess at some point in my childhood I decided that I don’t like barley because, first of all, it was in Campbell’s Scotch Broth soup and was always kind of slimey; and because I once ordered barley soup from a Greek diner in New York City and it came with a little extra protein in the form of some small dead bugs. Barley, more than other grains, seems to attract certain kinds of insects, so sealed and tight storage is important.

This recipe was featured in The New York Times last spring, and I find it attractive because it looks beautiful in the photo and it seems like an enticing way to use two healthy foods that I normally don’t know how to cook/eat: barley and kale. Soon the area farm markets will open and their wooden tables and crates will be laden with interesting bundles of rich, green kale. If you, like me, have always wanted an excuse to buy and try some kale, this is your opportunity. You can also, of course, use any of the dark greens sold at area grocery stores, such as relatively mild spinach or superbly spicey broccoli raab.

Kale is one of the most abundantly nutritious of the dark greens. Like its green cousins, it helps protect your eyesight and fights macular degeneration; it also is supercleansing for your liver. Like barley, it is loaded with fiber. And like the other cruciferous veggies, it has a lot of cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Tying this soup together are nice bits of dark and flavorful mushrooms. They are, to me, a kind of happy  medium between the bitter, chewy kale and the super-smooth balls of barley. All mushrooms are cancer fighters, and all mushrooms are also loaded with selenium, which activates one of the cancer-fighting antioxidants that the human body produces on its own.

Best of all, this is a perfect rich, thick winter soup. Even if it weren’t so darn healthy, it would still make you feel good all over.

There are a few different types of barley.  If you’re new to this grain, look for quick-cooking barley. Second easiest to cook is pearl barley. The most time-intensive type of barley is whole or hulled barley, which still has its bran.

Barley soup with

mushrooms and kale

Serves six to eight

Adapted from a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, published in The New York Times

1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and cut into quarters

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Coarse salt, to taste

3/4 cup quick-cook barley

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock or water

A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each of thyme,  parsley and a bay leaf

8 to 10 ounces kale, stemmed and washed thoroughly

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Soften the dried mushrooms in boiling water for a few minutes as you prepare the other ingredients. Before you use them, wrap them in cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess moisture. Reserve the liquid.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until they soften, about three minutes.

Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and continue to cook until the mixture is juicy and fragrant (about five more minutes).

Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms, the barley, the mushroom soaking liquid and the stock or water.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, add the bouquet garni, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Stack the kale leaves in bunches and cut crosswise into slivers. Add to the soup, and continue to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes until the barley and the kale are  tender.

Remove the bouquet garni before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In the refrigerator, the barley will soak up some of your broth. Be prepared to add more when you reheat.