This easy recipe for a classic Lebanese freekeh soup with chicken is super healthy and truly delicious. Chicken freekeh soup is a feel good, extremely nutritious and hearty dish. It can serve well as a main meal and is perfect for a pick me up in cooler weather. It’s packed with good for you grains, antioxidants from the homemade chicken stock, and flavor from the warm Middle Eastern spices.
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What is freekeh?
Freekeh (or farik) is an ancient whole grain made with green durum wheat that has been roasted and rubbed. The name for freekeh originates from the word “rub” in Arabic. It’s very common in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, etc.
The roasting of the freekeh gives it a very distinctive smokey flavor, and once you try it, you’ll be able to pinpoint the taste immediately. It’s so unique!
Freekeh grain nutrition is its biggest selling point. Because the green wheat is harvested when still green and young, it retains a lot of nutrition. It’s full of protein, fiber, and won’t spike your blood sugar like other grains. It has half the sugar of rice.
Having all that fiber, and a lower glycemic index means freekeh will keep you full longer. This is a great alternate take to a chicken soup!
Why make this freekeh soup recipe?
It’s extremely healthy, and it’ll be a great cold fighter. Even better than chicken noodle soup, with homemade broth but better for you grains.
It comes together so easily, you make the chicken broth and shredded chicken in one pot. To make it even easier, you can use store bought chicken broth, or previously frozen chicken broth and frozen shredded cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
The flavor of freekeh is so distinctive. If you want to know what freekeh tastes like, it has a smokey and nutty flavor. It retains a lot of texture even while cooking, so you get a nice little chew to it.
Ingredients in this soup:
For the homemade chicken broth:
Chicken: A whole chicken, cut into pieces is my preferred way to go. This ensures you get the flavor and nutrition that comes from the chicken bones.
Onion, garlic, carrots, and fresh herbs: Simple ingredients commonly added to stock to give it a lot of robust flavor.
Aromatics: bay leaves, star anise, peppercorns, cardamom pods and salt. You can really use whatever you have on hand.
For the freekeh soup:
Olive Oil: Perfect for sautéing the onion in.
Onion: This is one of this soups staple ingredients. It adds a ton of flavor. I personally like finely diced onion, but you can chop it coarser if you like.
Freekeh: The star ingredient! It’s much more commonly found now, so you might find this in your regular supermarket, otherwise it’s definitely available in Whole Foods or Trader Joes, as well as Amazon.
Salt and pepper
Cumin powder: not only does this add a lot of flavor, but cumin is commonly added to fibrous food in the Middle East because it’s known to aid digestion.
Seven spices: a very commonly used spice blend used in Middle Eastern cuisine, you can make your own, or substitute all spice if you don’t have any on hand.
How to make chicken freekeh soup:
- Make the chicken broth as outlined in the recipe card. Soak the freekeh for 30 minutes then drain.
- In a large pot, saute the onions until soft in hot olive oil. Add the soaked freekeh and spices, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, and let the pot come to a boil. Reduce heat to low and bring to a low simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the freekeh is tender. Add the shredded chicken in, stir and simmer for another few minutes until chicken is warmed through.
How to make freekeh soup vegetarian:
It’ll actually be a whole lot easier! Instead of the homemade chicken stock, just substitute vegetable stock or vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water to make the equivalent of 6 cups. Omit the shredded chicken. It’ll still have a lot of good protein from the freekeh itself.
Making freekeh with meat soup:
Substitute the chicken for bone in meat pieces, which will probably take longer to cook when making the broth. Shred the meat instead of the chicken, and use the strained meat stock in place of the chicken stock.
Storing leftovers:
Leftover soup will last in the fridge for up to 4 days tightly covered. It will thicken as it cools, so when you reheat this on the stovetop or gently in the microwave, you can add a splash of water or broth to loosen it up again.
Freezing leftover freekeh soup:
This soup freezes well! Just make sure to cool completely before transferring to freezer safe bags or containers and freezing for up to 2 months.
Expert tips:
- Make sure you thoroughly check the freekeh before using it, it often has small stones or impurities that need to be removed.
- Keep checking the cooking process of the freekeh. It can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes to get to the texture you like.
- Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock and omit the chicken for a veggie option. Or, substitute beef stock and beef pieces to make this a freekeh soup with meat.
Recipe FAQs:
No! You can use store bought chicken stock and rotisserie chicken.
Yes, use vegetable stock and don’t add in shredded chicken or meat.
No it isn’t! It does contain gluten so if you need a gluten free soup, you can sub some wild rice instead.
Related Soup Recipes:
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Freekeh Soup
Ingredients
For the chicken and chicken broth:
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 1-2 onions, cut into wedges
- 1-2 carrots, thickly sliced
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs like coriander or parsley or a mix
- 1 head garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 black peppercorn
- 4 whole cardamom pods
- 2-3 teaspoon salt
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 cup freekeh 150g
- 6 cups chicken broth (from broth recipe above)
- 1 cup shredded chicken (from broth recipe above)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon seven spices or all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
Instructions
Make the chicken broth:
- Place all the ingredients in a large pot, then add enough water to just cover everything.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer.
- Skim off the foam that accumulates on top and discard. You may have to do this several times during the cooking process. Simmer for until chicken is cooked, or for however long you have, anywhere between 1.5 hours-4 hours, the longer you simmer the better.
- Once stock is ready and chicken is cooked, strain the chicken stock to separate chicken from the broth.
- Remove all the aromatics and vegetables and discard. Set chicken aside to cool until you can handle it, then shred the chicken meat off the bones. We use about 1 heaping cup of chicken in this recipe. You can store any of the extra chicken in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
For the soup:
- Pick over the freekeh to remove any impurities, like tiny stones or wheat husks.
- Rinse the freekeh very well, for at least 30 seconds to one minute until the water runs clear.
- Soak the freekeh in water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile you can get the rest of your ingredients ready. After soaking, drain the freekeh.
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sautee the onion for 5-6 minutes until softened and transluscent.
- Add the drained freekeh and spices, and sautee for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, and let the pot come to a boil. Reduce heat to low and bring to a low simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the freekeh is tender. Add the shredded chicken in, stir and simmer for another few minutes until chicken is warmed through.
- Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy hot!
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Notes
Nutrition
Michelle says
This was delicious. Even my picky eaters enjoyed it! Adding to my monthly rotation.
Farah Abumaizar says
So happy to hear it Michelle!
Matej says
I’m a soup fanatic and always looking for new recipe to try. This one turned out really great and my wife loved it too.
Farah Abumaizar says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this soup!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I’ve never heard of freekeh before and this soup looks so delicious and comforting with all of those delicious spices.
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks Amanda!
Beth Sachs says
Healthy but so delicious. The perfect winter warmer soup!
Farah Abumaizar says
Exactly! Thanks Beth!
kushigalu says
What a healthy and delicious soup recipe to try. Thanks for sharing
Farah Abumaizar says
My pleasure!