This Palestinian Freekeh soup is a real heath boost meal! It has a beautiful nutty flavor & incredibly easy to make. You will fall in love with this soup.
Ingredients:
For the chicken broth:
- 1 quartered baby chicken or 2-3 chicken breasts
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- 1 carrot peeled
- 2-3 cardamom pods
- 5-7 black peppercorns
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1.5 litres of water
- 1 tablespoon of salt
For the soup:
- 2 chopped onions
- 2 cups freekeh
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon 7 spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions:
To make chicken broth:
- Flash fry the quartered chicken on high heat in a nonstick pan with a little regular olive oil for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a large stock pot and add the peeled onion, carrot, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and salt.
- Boil around 1.5 litres of water in a kettle and add to the chicken pot. Bring to the boil again for a few minutes then simmer for around 45 minutes.
- Once the stock has finished simmering, take out the chicken pieces and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
- Pass the remaining liquid through a fine sieve and set the clear broth aside.
To prepare the soup:
- Clean the freekeh by sifting the grains on a tray with your fingers several times over making sure to remove any small stones or rubble
- Wash the freekeh several times and soak in some warm water for half an hour before cooking
- Wash the freekeh several times and soak in some warm water for half an hour before cooking
- Drain the freekeh using a fine sieve and add to the onions along with the spices (black pepper, turmeric, 7 spice, ground cardamom).
- Sauté for five minutes and then add the clear chicken broth and bring to the boil
- Simmer for around 20 minutes then add the shredded chicken for the last ten minutes
- Taste the soup to make sure the freekeh is well cooked and adjust the salt and water levels if necessary
- Add a tablespoon of butter just before you turn the heat off, making sure you stir well.
And enjoy!