Mushroom and Barley Soup Recipe

This is a Pinterest recipe that required a few adjustments at then end.  I found the original recipe here at shape.com (perhaps that should have been a clue as to what was to come).  When it was finished my husband and I tasted it and thought it was blah.  He said it tasted like stock.  I thought it tasted like stock and barley water.  Yummy.  Not so much.  So we started adding things to it to find some flavor.  I added minced garlic (that I quickly sauteed to cook, next time I'd just add it with the onions and carrots).  He added dried onion flakes.  I added more salt.  He added more salt.  I added a bit of fresh chopped basil.  Then it had flavor and we were able to eat. :)  I tasted even better the next day as leftovers, perhaps b/c the flavors could marinate more.

Mushroom and Barley Soup
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 c. mushrooms (1 8oz package), sliced
3 cans vegetable broth
1 c. barley, cooked
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
*dried onion flakes
*chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrots, cooking until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Then add vegetable broth and barley, simmering for 10 minutes. Stir until mixture is blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Feel free to add other favorite spices, let me know what you use!