My mom told me about this dish her Bubbe used to make that she loved growing up, it was her favorite comfort food. Her Bubbe made it with corn but she preferred it with mushrooms, which happens to be the more popular way to make it. Farfel, which is sometimes called egg barley in its traditional form, was a type of pasta made from what looked like torn pieces of dough. Since I couldn’t find it in a package I made my own. Get the recipe to make your own farfel here or feel free to use Israeli Couscous/Ptitim to make this recipe which is flavorful and fun and comforting even if you didn’t grow up on it.
Ingredients
Servings 4
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions chopped
- 2 cups uncooked farfel or Israeli couscous 10 ounces, store bought or homemade
- 12 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 4 cups broth or water
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Pinch black pepper or to taste
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Farfel with Mushrooms, Egg Barley
Amount per Serving
Calories
469
% Daily Value*
Fat
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
8
g
Cholesterol
5
mg
2
%
Sodium
1468
mg
64
%
Potassium
535
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
75
g
25
%
Fiber
6
g
25
%
Sugar
5
g
6
%
Protein
16
g
32
%
Vitamin A
6
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
46
mg
5
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- In a large deep saute pan over medium heat, heat oil, add onions and mushrooms and saute until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add farfel and stir to coat, about 2 minutes.
- Add broth, salt and pepper and stir well. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the farfel is tender but not mushy and the liquid is absorbed.
- Note: After browning onion and mushrooms you can place in a baking dish with farfel and toss well. Add broth and cover pan, baked in a 325°F oven for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 30 minutes.
I don’t see and barley in the recipe, yet it’s called ‘farfal with mushrooms, egg barley’
Egg barley is another name for farfel. Not that I'm so smart, but, like you, I was looking for the barley in the recipe. Further on in todays Aish newsletter, there is an article about it. So now we both know!
Yes, sorry for the confusion
Egg barley is another name for farfel, but if you wanted to make this recipe with actual barely it would work, just take longer to cook.
it would also be full of gluten. but you can find non-grebacht israeli cous-cous (made of tapioca and potato starch) and make this as a gluten free item or pesach item.