Freekeh Soup

This comforting and healthy soup is made with grains and chicken stock for a filling and delicious soup that comes together really easily.

Course Soup

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Diet Halal

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings people

Calories 235kcal

Author Farah Abumaizar

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!

Video

Notes

Make sure you go over the freekeh thoroughly to remove any impurites.

You can definitely use ready made chicken stock, and even ready cooked shredded chicken if you are running short on time! I also often use frozen chicken broth I have in the freezer, just thaw it in the pot on low heat directly from frozen.

You can make this a vegetarian freekeh soup by using vegetable stock and no added shredded chicken. You can make it a meat and freekeh soup using beef with bones to make the stock and shredding the beef into the soup.

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 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.

Nutrition