Freekeh Soup with Chicken
This warm and comforting soup combines the ancient grain of Freekeh with chicken, fresh chicken broth, and 7 spices for a delicious Lebanese soup.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 Whole Chicken
- 1½ cups Freekeh ((Whole Grain Roasted Green Wheat))
- 2 Onions
- 1 tsp. Seven Spices
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. White Pepper
- 3 tb. Olive Oil
- 10 cups Water
- ½ Onion
- Bay Leaves
- Cloves
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
Instructions
- 1
In a large pot add the whole chicken and your aromatics. I added a half onion cut into two, as well as some bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon sticks. I seasoned with salt and black pepper and topped with about 10 cups of water. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat until boiling, and lower to a medium. Skim any white residue that rises to the top.
- 2
Cook for an hour or until chicken reaches 165F and is fall apart tender. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool before shredding.
- 3
Place the 1 ½ cups of freekeh in a medium sized bowl. Run your hands through it and remove any debris. Wash the freekeh and drain anything that rises to the top.
- 4
Finely dice the onions. In a large pot, heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the washed freekeh and season with the 7 spices. Saute for about two minutes before adding all the fresh chicken broth. Once boiling, lower the heat to a medium, cover and let cook until freekeh is tender, about 30 minutes.
- 5
Add the shredded chicken, season with white pepper and salt as needed. Serve hot!