Middle Eastern soups make a great starter to any main dish. Soups are particularly popular during Ramadan where they are traditionally served as the first thing to break the fast. Freekeh soup is among the most popular Middle Eastern soup recipes. It’s a very comforting and satisfying soup.
Let me show you my family’s recipe for freekeh soup with chicken.
Contents
What is Freekeh?
Freekeh is an ancient grain from the Middle East. It’s made of green durum wheat which is harvested before it’s ripened. The grains are then dried and roasted which gives them their unique roast flavor. While freekeh has gained popularity in the Western countries in recent years, the grain has a long history. It’s said to originate in the Middle East over 4,000 years ago.
Freekeh makes a wonderful alternative to bulgur, couscous and rice.
Ingredients
These are the main ingredients for Middle Eastern freekeh chicken soup.
- Freekeh: Freekeh is the star of this soup. For freekeh soup, you can use cracked freekeh which cooks faster, or whole freekeh (longer cooking time). See below for more info.
- Chicken: Chicken is another key ingredient to freekeh soup. If making a small amount (less than 10 servings), I prefer to use chicken breast. If making a larger amount, whole bone-in chicken is a good option (see below for more info).
- Onion: A regular yellow onion.
- Garlic cloves
- Olive oil: Olive oil is traditionally used to fry garlic and onions and greatly adds to the flavor
- Spices (for the broth): To create a broth, we’ll need the following whole spices: bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves and salt.
- Spices (for the soup): To season, we’ll need salt and pepper. Optionally, you can add turmeric for some color and Seven Spice for some extra flavor.
- Stock cube: If you use chicken breast, you can add an additional stock cube for some extra flavor. That’s not needed if you use whole chicken or have leftover chicken broth.
- Water: Tap water is the foundation of your soup.
- Lemon to serve.
Quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this recipe and can be adjusted according to the amount of servings you’d like to make.
Freekeh Chicken Soup (Step-by-Step Recipe)
Ready to get cooking? Let’s get started! You’ll find the detailed step-by-step instructions below. For a shorter version (to print out), simply scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1: Cook the chicken
Start off by preparing the chicken. Add plenty of hot water to a large saucepan. Add the whole chicken or chicken breast, along with the bay leaves and cloves and some salt. Turn on the stove on high.
For freekeh soup, the chicken is traditionally cooked in hot water, along with the seasonings. This will create your broth. If using whole bone-in chicken, you’ll have a more fragrant broth, but the cooking time is significantly longer. Chicken breast is a good alternative when making less than 10 servings.
Once the water is boiling, reduce your stove to medium heat and boil the chicken for about 20-25 minutes. Skim any white residues inbetween.
Step 2: Wash the freekeh
While the chicken is cooking, let’s wash the freekeh. Add freekeh to a large bowl or fine-mesh colander. Check for any small stones or impurities. Then rinse under cold water and set aside for later.
Step 3: Prepare garlic and onion
Next, let’s prepare onion and garlic for the soup. Peel an onion and finely dice. Peel the garlic clove, crush with a mortar or pestle or finely chop. Set aside.
Step 4: Remove chicken from saucepan
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the saucepan and set aside.
As for the water, this will become your broth for the soup. Obviously, it will have more flavor when using bone-in whole chicken, but it will have some flavor with chicken breast, too. Place a fine-mesh colander onto a bowl and pour the water from the saucepan to the bowl. Discard the whole spices, and set aside the bowl with the chicken broth for later.
Step 5: Fry garlic and onion
Heat olive oil in the now empty saucepan in which you just cooked the chicken. Once heated, add the crushed garlic and briefly fry to release the flavor. Then add the onion and fry it for another 2-3 minutes until translucent.
Step 6: Add freekeh and spices
Add the washed freekeh to the saucepan, along with the ground spices: salt, pepper, and if using Seven Spice (Baharat) and turmeric. Stir well and fry for a minute before you add the water, to allow the flavors to combine.
Step 7: Add water
Now add the water in which you cooked the chicken to the saucepan, along with a chicken stock cube, and stir. Bring to a boil on medium to high. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, add the lid to the saucepan and simmer.
Note that the cooking time depends on whether you use cracked freekeh or whole freekeh. If using cracked freekeh, cook it for about 15 minutes, and for another 7-8 minutes with the chicken, for a total cooking time of 20-25 minutes. If using whole freekeh, cook it for about 30-35 minutes before you add the chicken, for a total cooking time of 40 minutes.
Step 8: Shred the chicken
While the freekeh is cooking in the broth for some time, we’ll shred the cooked chicken into small pieces. It will have cooled by now, so you can shred it by hand. I like to opt for a mix of smaller and larger pieces for my soup.
Step 9: Add chicken to soup
Back to our soup. Once the freekeh has boiled for about 20 minutes, add the shredded chicken to the saucepan and stir. Cook the soup for another 7-8 minutes until the freekeh is tender.
If you have never tasted freekeh before, it might be a little hard to see if it’s done. As for the texture, it should be tender, and not too gummy anymore. You can compare the texture to bulgur or rice.
Step 10: Serve
Pour the soup into small bowls to serve. Optionally, garnish with finely chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve with fresh lemon to drizzle on the soup.
Serving Suggestions
Soups are commonly served as a starter in the Middle East. They are particularly popular when having guests as well as during the month of Ramadan (the fasting month). While shorbat addas (Arabic lentil soup) is by far the most popular soup in Levantine countries, freekeh soup is a wonderful alternative. Serve freekeh soup as a starter before any Middle Eastern main dish. With freekeh soup with chicken being so comforting and satisfying, it could also serve as a light standalone meal, especially during cold winter months.
Serve freekeh soup with fresh cut up lemon. Some people like to keep it natural, others prefer a more sour taste with more lemon.
Storage & Make Ahead
Freekeh soup is a great dish to make ahead of time. Let the soup cool completely after cooking. Then transfer it into airtight containers and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can warm it up in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
Any Questions or Feedback?
If you liked this recipe, I’d appreciate it if you could leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. In case you’ve any questions or feedback, please leave me a comment (down the page). I’m happy to help you make delicious Middle Eastern food at home.
Learn Middle Eastern Cooking
Are you a new to Middle Eastern cuisine? Then this Middle Eastern cookbook is what you need! In addition to a varied choice of recipes, the cookbook offers plenty of insights on ingredients, cooking techniques and Middle Eastern food culture.
Freekeh Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 150 g (1 cup) freekeh
- 1 onion small
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp turmeric optional
- ¼ tsp Seven Spice optional
- 1 chicken stock cube see notes
Boiling Chicken (Broth)
- 450 g chicken breast or whole chicken, see notes
- 2 l (8 cups) water
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- ½ tsp salt
Garnish & Serve
- 1 lemon for serving, optional
- Chopped parsley or cilantro optional
Instructions
- Add hot water to a large saucepan. Add the chicken breast (whole pieces, not diced) to the saucepan, along with bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and boil for 20-25 minutes. Skim any white residues inbetween.
- In the meantime, wash the freekeh in a large bowl or colander and drain the water. Set aside.
- Peel and finely chop an onion. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Set aside.
- Once the chicken is done, remove it from the hot water and place it on a plate. Discard the bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns. Set aside the water (this will become your broth).
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan (in which you cooked the chicken before). Once it’s heated, add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Then, add the diced onion and fry for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
- Add the washed freekeh to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper (and turmeric and Seven Spice, optional). Don’t add any water just yet! Stir well and fry for another minute to allow the flavors to unfold.
- Add the chicken stock (the water in which you boiled the chicken) to the saucepan, along with an additional chicken stock cube. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
- While the freekeh is cooking, shred the cooked chicken by breaking it into small pieces (by hand or cutting it with a knife).
- Add the shredded chicken to the saucepan and cook for another 7-8 minutes until the freekeh is tender.
- Pour the soup into small bowls. Serve with fresh lemon (optional).
Video
Notes
- Freekeh: Freekeh is a grain made from green durum wheat. For freekeh soup, cracked freekeh is the best option. You can find it at any Middle Eastern grocery store. Cracked freekeh cooks in about 20-25 minutes. Whole grain freekeh takes about 35-40 minutes.
- Chicken: When making a large quantity (more than 10 servings), you could use a whole chicken (bon-in, skin-on). The boiling time is significantly longer (over 1 hour). When making a small amount (less than 10 servings), I use chicken breast. The boiling time is shorter.
- When using chicken breast, I like to add an additional stock cube (as the broth is less flavorful when compared to whole chicken).
- To season, many people use only salt and pepper. I like to add turmeric for some color. You could add Seven Spice for some additional earthy flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is only a rough estimate and may vary depending on factors such as the cooking method, exact weight, type, and brand of ingredients used.
