Mushroom Barley Kugel

This kugel swaps the traditional egg noodles for pearl barley, giving you a heartier, chewier casserole with a nutty grain flavor. Using soy milk and vegetable broth instead of dairy makes it vegan-friendly, which also means it works for a pareve table.

The barley cooks for over an hour until it’s soft and swollen, then gets bound together with a flour-thickened sauce of sautéed mushrooms, onion, soy milk, and broth. That sauce is what holds everything together in the pan and gives each slice structure when you cut into it.

Pressing the mixture firmly into the baking pan before it goes in the oven is a must. Loosely packed kugel falls apart when served. You want it dense and sliceable, with a slightly crispy top edge and a creamy, barley-studded interior.

Thirty minutes of baking sets the top into a light golden crust while the inside stays soft and savory.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the barley until very tender, not al dente. Undercooked barley stays hard even after baking and won’t absorb the sauce properly.
• Stir the flour into the soy milk and broth before adding to the pan. Adding flour directly to hot liquid creates lumps that won’t dissolve.
• Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan with the back of a spoon. Gaps mean crumbly slices.
• Let it rest 10 minutes after baking before cutting. It firms up and slices more cleanly.

Variations

• Use cremini or shiitake mushrooms for a deeper, more earthy mushroom flavor.
• Stir in fresh thyme or dill before pressing into the pan for an herby lift.
• Add a layer of caramelized onions on top before baking for extra sweetness and color.