Persian-Style Chicken, Mushroom, and Barley Soup
- Courses:Main, Soup
- Cuisine:Middle Eastern
- Seasons:Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered if small or medium, cut into eighths if large
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup pearled barley
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh mint, dill, or a combination, chopped
- For:8
- Preparation:30 min
- Cooking:50 min
- Ready in:1 h 20 min
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release moisture, 6 to 8 minutes
- Add the cumin, turmeric, flour, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the barley, chicken, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, about 40 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in the cream and half of the herbs. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining herbs.
Notes
This satisfying meal in a bowl is a riff on the Persian dish called soup-e jo. Though barley’s natural starch lends the soup body, béchamel, a mixture of butter, flour and milk, also is traditional for added richness and thickening. For ease, we skip the béchamel and instead simply mix a tablespoon of flour into the sautéed onion and mushrooms, then swirl in a little cream at the very end. Fragrant spices give the soup color and complexity, and fresh herbs (we like a combination of mint and dill, though just one type does nicely) lift and brighten the flavors.
Don’t use whole-grain barley, as it requires a significantly longer cooking time than pearled barley.