Chicken Freekeh Soup
Freekeh is young green wheat whose stalks are burned in the production process to remove the chaff-you can definitely detect a slight smoky taste to the grain–I love it! Freekeh chicken soup is popular in Egypt and parts of the Levant, and it makes for a hearty and flavorful warm-your-belly soup. I like my soup rib-sticking thick, if you prefer it thinner, add one or two more cups of broth.
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups freekeh
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 large carrots
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 (14.5oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 6 cups homemade chicken stock (or low sodium store bought broth), plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 to 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 to 3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast (from about 1-1 1/2 pounds raw chicken breast, see note)
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Clean and soak the freekeh. Add the freekeh to a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes to soften while you prep the vegetables.
- Chop the veggies. Roughly chop the onion and celery. Peel and roughly chop the carrots, and mince the garlic cloves.
- Soften the veggies. Heat the olive oil over medium until shimmering. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt (about 3/4 teaspoon). Cook, stirring regularly until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer. Drain the freekeh and add it to the pot. Stir in the canned tomatoes and broth. Season with the pepper, paprika, cumin, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the freekeh is fully cooked (it should be tender and slightly chewy), about 20 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the cooked chicken and let simmer until the chicken is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, remove the thyme sprigs and stir in the fresh parsley.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the freekeh, olive oil, spices used in this recipe.
- For the chicken: You can poach chicken breast in simmering water for 15 minutes or so, then use 2 forks to shred it. Alternatively, rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken works well here.
Nutrition
Calories: 285.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.1g | Protein: 20.9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 36.7mg | Sodium: 948.6mg | Potassium: 363.1mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 3.9g | Vitamin A: 3819.4IU | Vitamin C: 7.7mg | Calcium: 56.5mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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