CREAMY LEMON-BARLEY SOUP

Creamy Lemon-Barley Soup image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Time 50m

Yield Serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

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1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1 quart Enriched Chicken Broth or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
3 leeks, white and light-green parts cut on the bias into 1 1/2-inch rounds and well washed (1 1/4 cups), dark greens well washed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups How to Cook Barley
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups watercress, tough stems removed, plus more for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Steps:

Combine chicken, broth, 1 cup leekgreens, and 2 cups water in a pot.Season with salt and pepper. Bring toa boil, then reduce heat and simmeruntil chicken is cooked through,15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate;strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.(You should have about 5 cups.) Rinsepot; return strained broth to it and placeover medium heat. Add barley and leekrounds; bring to a simmer and cookuntil leeks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-sizepieces (discarding skin and bones).
Whisk together yolks, lemon juice,and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl.Slowly add 1 cup hot broth to yolkmixture, whisking constantly. Removebroth from heat; slowly stir yolk mixtureback into broth. Return chicken tobroth; cook over medium heat, stirringoften, 5 minutes (do not let boil). Stir inwatercress; season with salt and pepper.Spoon soup into a bowl; top withmore watercress, pepper, and a drizzleof oil. Serve.