Minted Yogurt Soup
By: John Chaffetz
Published: Friday, December 18, 2009 - 6:51pm

Ingredients




1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2/3 cup barley
1 cup plain yogurt
1 bunch fresh mint

Preparation

1 Heat butter and oil over medium heat in a saucepan 2 Saute onions until soft and starting to brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. 3 Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer 4 Add barley and simmer until barley is al dente, about 45 to 60 minutes   5 Place yogurt in a large bowl 6  Add stock into yogurt, whisking constantly as you slowly add the stock;
you are tempering the yogurt with the hot broth so it doesn’t curdle and form clumps
 7 When blended together, add the yogurt broth to the saucepan and stir to combine
 8 Season with salt and pepper to taste 9 Serve with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh mint if desired.

About


A few years back I attended a farm school, spending a week out in the country with a bunch of food lovers eating farm-fresh goodies and learning about where food comes from. Everyone in my class brought a new and interesting culinary story to the table, and I made many wonderful friends. Chief among them is Aliye—a
Turkish bombshell who knows her way around the kitchen. She introduced me to Turkish food and
taught me how to make this simple soup with one of my favorite ingredients: yogurt. Feel free to
alternate the grain you use in this soup—it’s the broth that makes the meal.
This soup will hold in the fridge for four or five days. You can also freeze any leftover. Feel
free to omit or switch out the barley with another grain—wild rice, farro, or even couscous will work. Just
be sure to adjust your cooking time.
Excerpted from Urban Pantry, published by Skipstone