Cock-a-Leekie Soup

We used a rotisserie chicken and a bit more barley than the recipe specifies. We didn’t have fresh parsley, so we added a small amount of dried parsley to the soup. We needed to use our large (7 quart) pot. Serve with prune-walnut bread.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pearled barley
  • 1 tablespoon canola or light olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 cups halved and sliced leeks white and light green parts only
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1½ cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Cook barley according to package directions; drain.
  2. Heat oil and butter in a pot over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, and carrots; sweat, covered, until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to high.
  3. Stir in broth, potatoes, wine, bay leaf, and zest; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer soup until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
  4. Add chicken, lemon juice, salt, white pepper, and barley; remove and discard bay leaf. Garnish soup with parsley.