Mushroom Soup

Throughout my life, I've had a love hate relationship with mushrooms.  I hated them ever since I could remember when I was a kid but my Grandmother assures me that I used to love them when I was very young.
Since I was a teenager, I have loved mushrooms again, lucky for me my Grandmother has an amazing mushroom soup recipe.  Like most recipes that I get from my grandmother, it doesn't really lend itself to precision, I'll do my best to give you the recipe so that you can recreate this delicious dish! 

(I'm posting the original recipe but I doubled it)

2 tbs barley
1 8 oz package of mushrooms (I usually use white ones but I used cremini this time), chopped
1 medium onion,diced
1 carrot, grated
2 medium potatoes, cut into elongated cubes
1 tbs Osem mushroom soup powder (or any brand)
Salt, to taste

Bring one liter of water to a boil and add the barley. Add some salt to the water (I often forget this step).
Allow it to simmer while you work on the rest of the soup.
Fry the mushrooms until the water evaporates, add the onion and carrot and cook until the onions are soft.
When it looks ready, add it to the water and barley.  Add the potatoes and soup powder and allow to  simmer so that the flavors combine. 

This soup tastes best on the second day. 
When you serve it, you can add a tablespoon of sour cream to the bowl.

Enjoy!