Jumpstarting Spring With Mushrooms and Barley MUSHROOM barley soup, as nubby as oatmeal, is the kind of thing my grandmother used to simmer on the stove all winter long. The barley partly dissolved after a few hours, thickening the broth until it was dense and shiny and slightly sticky. A steaming bowl was perfect to warm a body on a frigid night. Sadly, though, the dearth of such nights in New York City has made me shelve my grandmother's mushroom barley soup, along with hot chocolate and fondue, until next winter rolls around. Then, with any luck, the icicles will return, and I'll need to thaw out with comfort food. In the meantime, my appetite yearns for lighter, more springlike fare. Thinking about the soup I wasn't going to make led me to wonder why there weren't more recipes combining mushrooms and barley. The two get along extremely well, with the woodsy meatiness of the mushrooms rounding out the starchy softness of the barley. Other than in soup and maybe the odd risotto, I haven't seen the two sharing the same dish with any regularity. But a barley salad, tossed with browned, crispy mushrooms and, to counter those earth-bound flavors, plenty of fresh scallions and parsley, would unite the two without the heft and heat of a bubbling soup pot. Toasting the barley for this salad is essential. Not only does it accentuate the nuttiness of the grains, but it also helps to keep them separate as they cook. That way, instead of clumping together into a gluey mass, they stay distinct, much like farro (which can be substituted for the barley here; just reduce the cooking time per the package directions). I like to cook barley for salads in plenty of boiling water, as you would pasta. This helps keep the clumping at bay. I also threw some roasted celery root into the salad, along with the caramelized mushrooms. You can roast the two at the same time, though the mushrooms cook faster. And if you're not a fan of celery root (also called celeriac), feel free to substitute sunchokes, turnips, parsnips or carrots, though the roasting time may differ depending on the density of the root vegetable. When the pieces turn golden and tender, they are done. To finish the dish, I chopped up some celery stalks and stirred them into the bowl. They added a crunch that was delightful against all the soft textures of the salad. Chopped celery leaves underscored the mild, herbal flavor of the stalks. It's an ideal salad for late winter, even if it already seems like early spring.