Creamy Lemon-Barley Soup

This super soup is delicious, nourishing, and packed with fiber.

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Servings:

4 to 6

In this cozy, velvety lemon barley soup, the fiber-packed grain takes center stage. Our recipe is a take on the Greek soup avgolemono, a chicken broth enriched with egg yolks and lemon juice that often contains chicken—our recipe uses skinless, boneless chicken breasts. We swap the usual rice or orzo for barley, adding more fiber and a satisfying chewiness. In another break with the classic, we cook leeks with the chicken and stir peppery watercress in at the end for a lively burst of flavor that contrasts wonderfully with the nourishing soup.

Directions

Simmer chicken with leek greens and water:

Combine chicken, broth, 1 cup leek greens, and 2 cups water in a pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through,15 minutes.
Strain liquid and rinse pot:

Transfer chicken to a plate; strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. (You should have about 5 cups.) Rinse pot.
Heat broth, add barley and leeks and cook:

Return strained broth to pot and place over medium heat. Add barley and leek rounds; bring to a simmer and cook until leeks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-size pieces (discarding skin and bones).
Mix yolks with lemon juice; add some hot broth slowly to yolk mixture:

Whisk together yolks, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl. Slowly add 1 cup hot broth to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Remove broth from heat; slowly stir yolk mixture back into broth.
Add chicken to broth and cook gently; stir in watercress and serve:

Return chicken to broth; cook over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes (do not let boil). Stir in watercress; season with salt and pepper. Spoon soup into a bowl; top with more watercress, pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Serve.