The last time I made this soup, William and Kate were wed, Kim Kardashian divorced after a 72 day marriage, Oprah’s final episode aired and Charlie Sheen had an epic meltdown. The year was 2011. Here’s a photo from that blog post.

Both my photos and the recipe were in need of a makeover! I replaced the beef stock with a roasted vegetable stock and I think it’s even better. Taking the time to roast the vegetables for the stock add a depth of flavour that most boxed vegetable stocks are missing. But if you’re pressed for time, Swanson and Imagine brands both make a pretty decent boxed organic low sodium veggie stock.

The other change I made was to swap out the barley for farro. Farro, is a nutty wheat grain that stays a bit chewier than barley. Both are quite high in fibre and protein. The soup uses both fresh and dried mushrooms. The flavour of dried mushrooms is concentrated and intense, which makes them spectacular for adding depth and richness to soups and sauces.

Finish the soup with 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar. It brightens the soup and adds a welcome hit of acidity to this rich broth. A generous sprinkling of dill and parsley make a pretty and tasty garnish.