Chicken, Barley and Mushroom Soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs bone in skin on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 16 oz. shiitake mushrooms cleaned and sliced (stems removed and reserved)
- 2 heads garlic halved
- 1 inch piece of ginger thinly sliced
- 3 shallots peeled and quartered
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock homemade or store bought
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1- 2 inch piece kombu optional
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ of a large daikon radish about 8 oz, peeled and sliced
- 4 oz chopped kale
- Chili crisp for serving
- Cooked pearl barley for serving (I cooked 1 ½ cups dry barley)
- Thinly sliced scallions for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Season chicken thighs all over with salt and black pepper. Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken thighs skin side down, and sear until deeply golden, about 8-12 minutes. Flip and cook second side about 3 minutes more.
- Remove chicken to a plate and carefully (it will be hot!) peel off skin and place on a lined sheet tray.
- Transfer the chicken skins to the oven and cook until very crispy, about 40-45 minutes. Flip skins over half way through the cooking process. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, add sliced mushrooms to the pot with the chicken fat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Add in garlic, ginger, shallots, and reserved mushroom stems. Pour in broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Toss in dried mushrooms, kombu, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
- Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer on low for 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked (at least 185F).
- Remove chicken from the soup. Strain broth through a mesh sieve, and return to the heat.
- Add daikon to the broth and simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken and return to soup, along with the seared mushrooms.
- Add in kale, and cook until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chop crispy chicken skins and mix with desired amount of chili crisp.
- Serve soup over the cooked barley, topped with the chili crisp and sliced scallions.
Video
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
