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I picked up a couple of new slow cooker cookbooks. I know, shocking, ain't it? Last night I seriously adapted Herbed Buttermilk & Barley soup from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. The recipe in that book is actually adapted from Diet For a Small Planet.
But while I wanted to try a buttermilk and barley based soup, I DIDN'T actually want vegetarian. I am, after all, Meat GirlTM. I'm also all about leeks these days, so I used leeks and a shallot instead of onions. Because I can. So, here's my adapted recipe...
1 tbsp oil (more if needed)
2 leeks (white part, cut into half moons and soaked to get rid of grit)
1 shallot, sliced
1/4-1/2 lb bacon
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sherry or dry white wine
3/4 cup pearl barley
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups buttermilk
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (I used chives and dill, but any fresh combo that pleases you is good)
Cut bacon into small bits and fry in oil until crispy. Remove from pan and drain on towel. Add chicken to pan in batches and saute until lightly brown. Remove chicken onto a plate and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat (trust me, you'll WANT to do this. I didn't, and ended up with an oily soup for the first serving. I skimmed off the excess fat once it cooled). Throw leeks and shallot into pan, saute until soft. Deglaze pan with sherry, scraping up all the brown bits.
Dump chicken and bacon into slow cooker. Dump leeks and shallot on top. Add the barley. Stir to mix. Add chicken stock. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, until barley and the chicken are tender.
Stur in buttermilk and one half the herbs. Cover and cook on HIGH (I actually left it on low) for about 30 minutes until heated through. Serve. Sprinkle remaining herbs on the soup.
It's quite yummy. Light and yet filling. I will make this again. And next time, I'll pour the fat off BEFORE I saute the leeks. :)
But while I wanted to try a buttermilk and barley based soup, I DIDN'T actually want vegetarian. I am, after all, Meat GirlTM. I'm also all about leeks these days, so I used leeks and a shallot instead of onions. Because I can. So, here's my adapted recipe...
1 tbsp oil (more if needed)
2 leeks (white part, cut into half moons and soaked to get rid of grit)
1 shallot, sliced
1/4-1/2 lb bacon
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sherry or dry white wine
3/4 cup pearl barley
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups buttermilk
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (I used chives and dill, but any fresh combo that pleases you is good)
Cut bacon into small bits and fry in oil until crispy. Remove from pan and drain on towel. Add chicken to pan in batches and saute until lightly brown. Remove chicken onto a plate and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat (trust me, you'll WANT to do this. I didn't, and ended up with an oily soup for the first serving. I skimmed off the excess fat once it cooled). Throw leeks and shallot into pan, saute until soft. Deglaze pan with sherry, scraping up all the brown bits.
Dump chicken and bacon into slow cooker. Dump leeks and shallot on top. Add the barley. Stir to mix. Add chicken stock. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, until barley and the chicken are tender.
Stur in buttermilk and one half the herbs. Cover and cook on HIGH (I actually left it on low) for about 30 minutes until heated through. Serve. Sprinkle remaining herbs on the soup.
It's quite yummy. Light and yet filling. I will make this again. And next time, I'll pour the fat off BEFORE I saute the leeks. :)