Barley-Leek Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

Barley-Leek Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs is rated 4.8 out of 5 by 8.
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 10

This is a great soup to make with kids, who will have fun forming the meatballs and eating the end result. You can make the meatballs in advance and freeze them. They’re also delicious served with pasta or couscous.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
  • 3 leeks, white and light green portions, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 lb. (250 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) dry white wine
  • 2 cups (12 oz./375 g) pearl barley
  • 8 cups (64 fl. oz./2 l) chicken broth, plus more as needed
  • 1 lb. (500 g) ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) plain dried bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/2 cup (3/4 oz./20 g)
      chopped parsley
  • 1 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste 
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste

Directions:

In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine, stir to combine and cook for 4 minutes. Add the barley and the 8 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C). Oil a baking sheet.

In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, cheese, bread crumbs, the 2 Tbs. parsley and the tomato paste. Add the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper and stir to combine. The mixture will be very sticky. To form the meatballs, use 2 small spoons to scoop up the mixture and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the soup and stir in gently. If the soup is too thick, add more broth and heat through. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, garnished with the 1/2 cup parsley. Serves 8 to 10.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2011).

Rated 4 out of 5 by from wonderful! Great soup! I followed other reviewers that suggested cutting barley to 1 cup and that worked out great. I also added fresh parmesan to each bowl before serving!
Date published: 2021-01-17
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Pretty good Cut the amount of barley in half. The full two cups soaks up all the broth and makes it a porridge.
Date published: 2019-12-11
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great Recipe Thanks for the recipe, i would like to recommend to my friends.
Date published: 2019-01-18
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Super Delicious! This is a hearty dinner level soup for the whole family that I have made multiple times. Due to food allergies I leave out the mushrooms & it’s still very tasty. As others have, I cut back the barley to one cup, and add additional broth on day 2 if it gets too thick. Also I’ve made it with ground beef & it’s quite good.
Date published: 2018-02-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from easy and delicious Excellent and satisfying soup--perfect for fall and winter weekends when meals need to work around football! Suggestions: Soup is very thick even with extra broth so I reduced the barley to a one generous cup. That seemed to be perfect; especially since soup thickens after refrigeration and reheating requires even more additional broth. It freezes well. Meatballs were very good; I did not find them sticky and just used my very clean hands to shape them. Made mine smaller than those shown in the photo--about 9 minutes cooking time was perfect and the smaller size is easier for the younger set to manage.. Definitely recommend this recipe
Date published: 2014-10-12
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Meatballs are wonderful; good value meal I have never made anything with ground chicken, but I have to say, the meatballs were fantastic. This was an easy recipe with a good yield. The barley was wonderful and added a nutty taste. Inexpensive ingredients. Will definitely make again.
Date published: 2014-03-07
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A Great Winter Soup This is a great soup for a cold winter night. Delicious! The only change I would make is the amount of barley. I'd say, 1 1/2 cups would be perfect! Also, have more chicken broth on hand, in case you wanted to thin it out a little. The chicken meatballs were amazing!
Date published: 2014-02-19
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Warm & hearty! This is a fabulous recipe for winter days. However, reduce the pearl barley to 1.5 cups. Barley grows & grows, and the ratio of 2 cups is simply too much and too thick, even with added broth. With this modification, it is a fabulous, delicious meal! At the end, add fresh lemon juice and have everyone licking their bowls!
Date published: 2014-01-31
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