Skip to main content

Chickpea Lamb and Barley Soup

This is one soup our daughter requests time and again, and so I stock her freezer with it!  It is warm, luscious and very flavorful. Lamb and chickpeas are ensconced in a golden orange broth flavored with tomatoes, garlic and rosemary. Barley gives a toothy bite, and kale adds the greens we need. Real comfort food as fall weather threatens.



1 cup dried chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained)


1 onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced


2 cups lamb, cubed 1/4-inch (I used leftovers from a roast)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced


1/4 cup pearl barley

1 quart beef broth

1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf


2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced 1/4-inch

2 cups chopped kale


The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of water with 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp kosher salt. This helps soften and season the beans.  And when cooked in the pressure cooker their consistency is perfectly buttery.


The next day, sauté the onion, celery and carrots in an uncovered pressure cooker with a dash of olive oil.  Cook until the veggies are softened and slightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.  


Add the lamb and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the lamb to brown a bit. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook another 2-3 minutes.


Drain and add the chick peas to the pot.  Add the barley, broth, tomatoes and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a gentle boil.  Stir and cover the pressure cooker.  Bring to high pressure setting.  Now set timer for 10 minutes and lower heat to a low simmer, but enough to maintain the high pressure setting.


After exactly 10 minutes (this timing is important), take the pressure cooker off the heat and allow to reduce pressure naturally - mine takes about 15-ish minutes.


Carefully uncover depressurized cooker and add the potatoes. Return to a gently boil and simmer 8-10 minutes.  Add kale and continue cooking another 8-10 minutes.


Remove bay leaf, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 6-8.


Cook’s Note: As with most soups and stews, this soup benefits greatly by sitting off-heat to steep, melding flavors. It is even better the next day.  It also freezes very well.


I would suppose this recipe could be readily transposed for an InstantPot, but I have not tried.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chicken Piccata over Squid Ink Pasta

Serve this delicious lemony piccata over your favorite pasta. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick cutlets 1/4 cup flour 1 lemon sliced and de-seeded  2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp capers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry white wine crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 8 oz squid ink pasta fresh parsley for garnish Melt butter in the oil in a skillet.  Fry the lemon slices for a few minutes, just until beginning to brown.   Set aside on a plate.  Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast.  Dredge the chicken in the flour and brown the first side of each in the butter mixture in the skillet.  Flip to brown second side.  Cook over low heat for a total of about 15 minutes.   Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Cook until just al dente. Remove chicken to a plate when cooked through. Add capers and garlic to skillet a...

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs.  Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have.  Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade.   Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Baked Grouper with Mushroom Wine Sauce

Fresh fish baked in a creamy mushroom sauce is always a rich reward after a hard day's work. 3/4 lb grouper (or other favorite white fish) cut into 2 portions Sauce: 2 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup onion, very finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced through a press 1/3 cup pale dry sherry or dry white wine 1/3 cup half and half or cream 1 Tbsp corn starch 1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained and liquid reserved Preheat oven to 375F.  Sauté the onions in the butter, in a sauce pan for about 8-10 minutes, until slightly caramelized.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Add the sherry and half and half, and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk together the mushroom liquid with the cornstarch in a small bowl.  Whisk this mixture into the boiling sauce until thickened.  Add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste.   Adjust thickness with wine, water or chicken broth if necessary, or allow sauce to thicken more by reducing slightly. Lay...