I came up with this soup as a blend of two different Armenian recipes that I had stumbled across. I decided that I wanted to make a yogurt soup, but I wanted it to have grains as well as protein in it. After a brief search online I came across Tanabour (Armenian Yogurt & Barley Soup) and Madzoon ov Kofte (Yogurt Soup with Meatballs). Though similar, individually they weren't what I was looking for. I took the two recipes and combined and tweaked them to get the flavors and textures I was looking for.
The soup turned out exceptionally well, and it had a light mint flavor that paired with the rich acidity you get from the full fat greet yogurt. The barley gave the soup a nice mouthfeel and finished the soup so it was almost a full meal. I will definitely be making this one again, as it was simple, different from my usual soup, and extremely flavorful.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
Onion, julienned 3 ea
Barley, rinsed 2 cups
Garlic, minced 1 T
Yogurt, full fat Greek 1 qt
Chicken Stock 2 qt
Mint, julienned 1 T, + garnish
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Avenue Spice 1 T
Garnish
julienned mint
Method of Procedure
Prepare your meatballs as per the recipe and sear.
Rinse your barley to remove any loose parts.
Saute your onions and garlic in your soup pot and add avenue spice.
Pour in your chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
Add your rinsed barley and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour to cook.
Put in your meat balls.
Add your yogurt in small batches while stirring to incorporate.
Continue to simmer until the meatballs are cooked all the way through about another 30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with a chiffonade (thinly sliced ribbons) of mint and serve.
Comments