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A bowl of turkey and barley soup full of orange carrots and green peas. A red kitchen towel is loosely wrapped around the shallow bowl and a string of greenery hangs to the right side.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Turkey and Barley Soup

This freezer-friendly soup highlights bright flavors like tart apple, fresh lemon, tarragon and oregano. My recipe uses accessible ingredients like ground turkey and your choice of fresh or dried herbs, to make it approachable all year round!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Simmer time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Soups
Cuisine: American
Calories: 339
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup onion white or yellow, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup celery trimmed and sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 granny smith apple peeled, core removed, and diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried, see note
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning Trader Joe's Everything But The Leftovers is a great option
  • ⅔ cup uncooked pearl barley
  • 8 cups chicken or turkey stock
  • ½ cup frozen peas thawed on the counter during the cooking process
  • ½ cup Italian parsley chopped
  • 1 lemon juiced

Equipment

  • 1 large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 vegetable peeler
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons

Method
 

  1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and break into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Give the turkey a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Cook the ground turkey until it's nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce when the meat is cooked but not yet browned (about 10 minutes in), then continue browning.
  2. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.
  3. Add apple, garlic, oregano, poultry seasoning, and dried tarragon to the pot; stir, cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Do not add tarragon yet if using fresh. Fresh tarragon will be added towards the end of the cooking process.
  4. Add bay leaf, barley, and beef broth to the pot. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to medium. Cover with lid, and simmer for 30 minutes or until barley is cooked through.
    Make sure you give the soup a good stir occasionally so the barley doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. This is supposed to be a thick and hearty soup but feel free to add more water/stock if needed or desired.
  5. Add thawed peas; stir, and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
  6. Remove from heat. Add fresh tarragon, flat-leaf parsley, and lemon juice; stir until combined. Taste; season with salt and pepper, as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.
  7. Serve hot with a lemon wedge and garnish with more parsley (optional).

Notes

This Turkey and Barley Soup is a freezer all-star. If you live in a smaller household like me (2 adults), you're going to have a ton of soup leftover. It still makes sense to make a big pot because you can throw some in the freezer and have dinner already prepared for easy lunches or dinners.