Hearty Chicken Soup with Ancient Grains
A nourishing and satisfying chicken soup made with ancient grains, pearl barley and freekeh. This hearty one pot meal is packed with tender shredded chicken, wholesome vegetables and nutty grains that gently thicken the broth, making it perfect for cosy nights and easy meal prep.
Equipment
- Large stockpot or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine)
- ½ cup each of pearl barley and freekeh (or use all pearl barley)
- 2 litres chicken stock
- 2 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- ½ cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
TO SERVE
- Fresh crunchy bread or sourdough
- Chopped fresh parsely
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large deep stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and salt and saute for 6-8 minutes or until softened.
- Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the pearl barley and freekeh, chicken stock, chicken breast, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Using tongs, remove the chicken breast to a plate and set aside to cool slightly. Continue cooking the soup for a further 20 minutes or until barley and freekeh are al dente (tender to the bite).
- Meanwhile, once chicken has cooled slightly, using clean hands or two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite size pieces.
- Once the grains are tender, return the shredded chicken to the soup and heat through until piping hot. Stir through parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with fresh crunchy bread. Garnish with extra chopped fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - Stock matters: Because this is a simple soup, a good quality chicken stock makes a big difference to the final flavour. Homemade is ideal, but a quality liquid stock works beautifully.
- Consistency. The barley and freekeh will continue to absorb liquid as the soup sits. Add a splash of hot water or extra stock when reheating to loosen it to your preferred thickness.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap the chicken for chickpeas or white beans and use vegetable stock for an easy plant based version.
- NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: This nutrition information is a guide only and does not include any sides you may serve with it, such as bread etc.