as promised here is the recipe for this traditional persian soup. my friend shahnaz made it for the soup exchange i had last month and the flavours are so divine you have to try it out at home.

shahnaz’s soup jough

what you’ll need is…

• 2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 1/2 cups pearled barley, rinsed and soaked in cool water for an hour
• 4 cups of stock, chicken or vegetarian
• freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 2-3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• water
• chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

and all you have to do is…

• sautee the onions in the butter and oil until translucent
• add the pearl barley to the pot and stir for one minute. stir in the broth, salt and pepper.
• bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.
• to the pot add the shredded carrots and mix. add more hot water if needed. cover and cook for another 40-45 minutes on medium-low heat.
• in the last 15 minutes of cooking add the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• serve the soup in a large bowl, sprinkle chopped parsley on top and serve with warm bread.

what i love about making soup is that there is very little prep, long low-maintenance cook times and a hearty, healthy and delicious outcome every time. thanks shahnaz, you are awesome mama!

who’s going to try this one out?