Lemon Turkey and Barley Soup
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 large carrots, sliced
  • 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon herbs de provence*
  • 8 cups turkey or chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • ¾ cup uncooked barley (not hulled – takes too long) I like Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills, which say “pearled,” but they’re only semi-pearled.
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound leftover turkey meat, shredded or cubed
  • 2- 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 4 Tablespoons and thought it was perfect)
  • 5 ounces (about 5 cups, packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
  • Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
  1. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the herbs de provence and stir.
  3. Add the stock, barley, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook partially covered until the barley is tender, at least 30 minutes.
  4. Stir in the cooked turkey and simmer until turkey is heated through. If you want the barley to become larger and thicken the soup a little, just simmer another 10-20 minutes.
  5. Stir in the lemon juice and spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, pepper or lemon juice, if needed. Serve with grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
* Herbs de provence is a blend of dried herbs which often include thyme, oregano, savory, marjoram, rosemary, and other herbs. If you don’t have herbs de provence, feel free to make your own blend of these herbs to use instead.
** You can also substitute 1-2 cups cooked grains and decrease the stock to 6-7 cups. You will just need to warm the grains through and not cook them for the full amount of time.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/lemon-turkey-and-barley-soup-recipe/