Barley Roasted Mushroom Ramen
There's something almost primal about roasted mushrooms meeting grain in a bowl of broth. This recipe leans into that feeling, pairing chewy pearl barley with deeply caramelized cremini and shiitake mushrooms in a broth that tastes like the forest floor in the best possible way. The barley adds this satisfying chewiness that ramen noodles alone can't deliver, and the roasting concentrates the mushroom flavor until it's almost meaty. It's a European sensibility meeting Japanese technique, peasant food elevated by good stock and patience. Vegetarians will love it, but honestly, so will everyone else. The kind of bowl that makes you forget meat was ever an option.
Dark caps split by heat—barley swells in mushroom broth—earth feeds earth, again
Let Me Tell You...
I never thought I'd voluntarily put barley in ramen.
It seemed wrong, like putting oatmeal in a taco, one of those ideas that sounds adventurous in theory and tragic in practice.
But I had a bag of pearl barley that had been sitting in my pantry for months judging me, and a pile of mushrooms that were one day away from going rubbery, so I figured why not.
Worst case I'd have a weird stew.
Best case I'd have something worth eating.
That's where the flavor lives.
The mushrooms went into a screaming hot oven, tossed in olive oil and salt, and came out thirty minutes later looking like little charred jewels.
Meanwhile the barley simmered in dashi-spiked vegetable broth, slowly swelling and releasing starch until the liquid turned slightly creamy.
When I combined everything in the bowl, the ramen noodles on the bottom, the barley and mushrooms heaped on top, broth poured over the whole thing, it looked like something from a restaurant I couldn't afford. The thyme I threw on at the end was maybe showing off, but it worked.
It absorbs flavor the whole time it simmers.
The first bite was a texture revelation.
Chewy barley, slippery noodles, meaty mushrooms, all in a broth that tasted deeper than it had any right to given how simple the ingredient list was.
The roasting had concentrated the mushrooms into something almost truffle-like, and the barley brought this wholesome, grainy backbone that made the whole bowl feel substantial.
My friend who eats nothing but steak asked for seconds, which felt like winning an argument I never started.
Sometimes the best recipes come from near-desperation, from using up what you have before it goes bad.
This bowl started as a pantry clean-out and turned into one of my favorite things I've made all winter.
The barley stays chewy even in hot broth, the mushrooms hold their roasted intensity, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour.
Not bad for a mistake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced thick
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon dashi powder (kombu-based for vegetarian)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (plus sprigs for garnish)
- 8 ounces ramen noodles (2 bricks, seasoning packets discarded)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss quartered cremini and sliced shiitake mushrooms with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway, until deeply browned and caramelized at the edges.
- While mushrooms roast, combine vegetable broth and dashi powder in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add rinsed pearl barley, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes until barley is tender but still chewy. Do not drain; the barley will absorb most of the broth.
- In a separate large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced shallot. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add the cooked barley with its remaining broth to the garlic-shallot pot. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and fresh thyme leaves. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to meld flavors. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook ramen noodles according to package directions (typically 2-3 minutes) until just tender. Drain and toss with toasted sesame oil to prevent sticking.
- Divide noodles among serving bowls. Ladle the barley broth over the noodles. Pile roasted mushrooms on top. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce evenly over the bowls. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, cracked black pepper, and optional toppings. Serve immediately.