Yogurt Or Buttermilk Soup With Toasted Barley Food

YOGURT OR BUTTERMILK SOUP WITH TOASTED BARLEY

Steps:

• Heat a heavy, medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the barley. Stir or shake in the pan until it begins to smell toasty, about five minutes. Add the water and salt (to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.
• While the barley is cooking, place the cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss and place in a strainer set over the bowl. Allow to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse well and drain on paper towels.
• Combine all the ingredients except the mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for one hour or longer. Serve, garnishing each bowl with the mint.

CHICKEN WITH BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• Combine water, chicken thighs, and bay leaves in a large stock pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, place a cover on the pot, and cook at a simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken to a cutting board to cool. Remove and discard bones, skin, and fat from chicken. Cut remaining meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Cool broth until the fat congeals on the surface. Skim and discard fat.
• Return soup to heat; add carrots, celery, onion, pearl barley, bay leaves, chicken bouillon, poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, place cover on the pot, and simmer until the barley is cooked and the vegetables are tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Stir lemon juice into the soup just before serving.

GRAINS IN HERBY BUTTERMILK

Steps:

• Toast grains in a dry medium heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just slightly darkened and beginning to smell nutty, about 4 minutes. Pour in 4 cups water, then add onion, garlic, lemon zest, and a couple of big pinches of salt; stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming any foam from surface as needed, until grains are tender (pull out a few grains and take a bite to test), 35-45 minutes; pluck out and discard onion, garlic, and lemon zest.
• Meanwhile, purée parsley, dill, buttermilk, and a big pinch of salt in a blender until bright green and smooth. Pour into a medium bowl, add yogurt, and whisk until your arm gets a bit tired-3 minutes should do the trick (whisking the mixture well will ensure that the yogurt doesn't split and get grainy when you add it to the grains).
• Pour buttermilk mixture over grains. Increase heat to medium and bring to a bare simmer. Cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and squeeze in juice from lemon half. Stir well, then taste grains and season with more salt if needed. Skim any foam from surface.
• Ladle grains into bowls. Drizzle some oil into each bowl and top with coarsely ground pepper.

HOT YOGURT SOUP WITH BARLEY AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the barley and stir together until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the stock and salt to taste (depending on the saltiness of the stock), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk into the yogurt. Off the heat, whisk this mixture into the soup. Return to low heat and bring to a bare simmer, stirring. Do not boil. Add salt to taste and a generous amount of pepper. Stir in the cilantro, and season with fresh lemon juice if desired (or squeeze a few drops over each bowl). Serve hot or warm, garnished with thin rounds of lemon.

TURKISH BARLEY AND BUTTERMILK (OR YOGURT) SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy pot and saute onions until translucent.
• Add barley and saute, stirring lightly, until translucent and slightly toasty-smelling.
• When onion is well browned, add stock and cook until barley is well done, 45 minutes to an hour (or 25 minutes in a pressure cooker).
• Remove from heat, let cool a bit, and slowly add buttermilk and more stock to thin it if necessary. Sprinkle in dill and add butter or margarine.