Shorbet Freekeh (شوربة فريكة) — Lebanese Green Wheat Soup with Chicken Broth

• 180 gfreekeh (cracked green wheat) (rinsed and drained well)
• 600 gbone-in chicken thighs (about 4 small thighs)
• 1600 mlwater
• 150 gonion (1 medium, halved)
• 80 gcarrot (1 small, cut into chunks)
• 60 gcelery stalk (1 stalk, cut into chunks)
• 6 clovegarlic cloves (lightly crushed)
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 1 tspwhole black peppercorns
• 2 tspfine sea salt (divided)
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1.5 tspground cumin
• 0.25 tspground cinnamon
• 0.5 tspground allspice
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 30 mllemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 15 gfresh parsley (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the freekeh in a fine-mesh sieve under cool water for 30–45 seconds, then drain thoroughly. Set it aside so excess water doesn’t dilute the broth and slow the toasting step later.

2. 2

   Make the chicken broth: add the chicken thighs, water, halved onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tsp of the salt to a pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer and skim any foam for a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.

3. 3

   Simmer the broth uncovered for 40 minutes, keeping the heat low enough that only small bubbles break the surface. This gentle simmer extracts flavor without making the broth cloudy and keeps the chicken tender.

4. 4

   Remove the chicken thighs to a plate and let them cool for 10 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the vegetables and spices, then measure out 1200 ml of broth for the soup.

5. 5

   Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding skin and bones. Cover the shredded chicken so it stays moist, because it will be added back near the end to prevent drying out.

6. 6

   Build the soup base: in the same pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat and add the finely diced onion. Cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring often so it sweetens without browning too hard.

7. 7

   Add the cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and ground black pepper and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Add the drained freekeh and stir for 2 minutes so the grains lightly toast and pick up the spiced oil, which deepens the soup’s signature smoky-nutty flavor.

8. 8

   Pour in 1200 ml of the strained chicken broth and bring the pot to a boil, then immediately reduce to a steady simmer. Cover partially and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the freekeh is tender and the soup looks slightly thickened.

9. 9

   Stir in the shredded chicken and the remaining 1 tsp salt, then simmer for 5 minutes to warm through. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, then taste and adjust with an additional 5 ml lemon juice if you want a brighter finish.

10. 10

    Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top with chopped parsley. Let it rest for 3 minutes before serving so the freekeh settles and the flavors round out, then serve hot.