This has definitively not been my favorite soup when I was little. I had meat in it (which I hated at your age) and it was grey. I liked soups that are colorful and creamy and not chicken stock based but rather vegetables.

I can call this soup one of my favorite ones now. So it proves – we all change and our taste changes. Of course, my Mom is the master chef in making this soup, but taking recipe and tips from her while cooking I came with a pretty good one myself.

This soup is healthy and rich in body, which can easily make it for lunch.

Try it yourself, and let me know what you think.

SERVES: 6-8

PREP TIME: 2h

NEED: 5 l pot

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 chicken quarters (1kg or 2lb), skin removed
2. 2l (8 cups) of water
3. 3-4 carrots (300g or 3/4lb), shredded
4. 2 parsnips (100g or 1/4lb), shredded
5. 1/2 leek (100g or 1/4lb), chopped
6. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
7. 3-4 potatoes (500g or 1lb), cut in cubes
8. 8 flat tbsp of pearl barley
9. 1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
10. pinch of black ground pepper
11. 1/2 cup sour and 4 tbsp heavy cream mixed
12. Handful of fresh dill, chopped

RECIPE:

1. Place skinless chicken in the pot, cover with water and bring to boil. Drain water. This step is to remove any ‘dirt’ from the chicken.
2. With chicken in the pot – add 2 l of water and bring it again to boil, low heat, very slowly, until it simmers. The slow process of bringing to boil allows for full flavor and healthy benefits to unlock from the meat. Simmer – keep low heat – 1h.
3. Add barley, potato, carrot, parsnip, leek and garlic. Add salt (start with 1 tsp and add remaining to taste after step 4). Bring to boil – low heat – simmer for 15 min. *if your barley has longer cooking instructions than 15 min, then you might want to add it earlier alone, and add veggies when remaining cooking time is 15 min. Veggies should not cool longer than 15 min altogether.
4. In a separate cup, mix together sour and heavy cream. Add couple tablespoons of hot soup liquid stir well, and add altogether back into the pot, stirring. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat. Add dill.

PAIR WITH: Sour bread, baguette, crotons.