Lemony Barley Soup with Chicken Meatballs & Dill
Bright, cozy, and citrusy, this lemon-dill barley soup delivers everything I want in a weeknight bowl: an aromatic broth with fresh lemon; nutty, pleasantly chewy pearl barley; and tender drop-style chicken meatballs with little pops of salty feta. Baby spinach wilts in right at the end so the soup stays fresh and vibrant, not heavy. If you like Greek Avgolemono, you'll love this.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 302kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 6 oz (170g, about 1 cup) pearl barley, see note below
- 6 cups (1.4L) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon
- 1 5.5oz bag fresh baby spinach
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb (454g) ground chicken
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, use gluten-free if desired
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest, from ½ medium lemon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add diced onion and carrot, then cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes. Once softened, add 3 chopped cloves of garlic, 1 tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir in 3 Tbsp chopped dill.
- Add barley. Next, add 6oz (170g) of pearl barley. Allow this to toast for about 1 minute, then pour in 6 cups (1.4L) of chicken or vegetable broth and 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice – I use half a lemon now and reserve the rest for later if it needs more acid.
- Simmer. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Make the meatballs. While the soup is simmering, make the chicken meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients: 1 lb ground chicken, ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, 3 Tbsp chopped dill, 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 large egg, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese. Use your hands to thoroughly mix everything together, being sure it’s all evenly incorporated.
- Cook the meatballs. Remove the lid from the soup, then use a small spoon to drop heaping teaspoon-sized portions of meatballs (they’ll be rustic and freeform!) right into the soup. This yields 45 small meatballs. Return the lid, then cook for 5 minutes.
- Add spinach. Remove the lid once more, add a 5.5oz bag of fresh baby spinach, stir well, then return the lid. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Finish, then serve. Give the soup a good stir, then taste and adjust seasoning. I usually squeeze the juice from the other half a lemon and add about ½ tsp more kosher salt. Divide evenly into bowls, then garnish with extra fresh dill and lots of cracked black pepper. I also like a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and crumbled feta on top too. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you have an 8.8oz (249g) package of barley and want to use the whole thing, you absolutely can. I’d recommend adding one additional cup of liquid when adding stock (unless you want a thicker end result). Keep in mind, barley will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers up to 4 days. Barley will thicken the soup—thin with hot broth or water as you reheat.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze without the spinach (stir that in fresh after reheating). Barley softens a bit after thawing—totally fine, just expect a heartier consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1606IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @wellseasonedstudio and hashtag it #wellseasonedstudio!
