Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients:
Barley - Pinhead or Regular
Mushrooms
Onions
Fresh Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Oil

Soak the barley by putting it in a container or bowl and covering it with boiling hot water. Cover well and leave to soak for at least an hour. (The longer you leave it for the better, as this reduces the stodginess in the soup making it nice and light). If you cannot soak the barley before you can still make the soup but it will be more stodgy and will need top ups of water during cooking.




Dice and fry onions until they are translucent and slightly golden.


Add chopped mushrooms and chopped garlic.




Fry until the mushrooms go soft.

Add the drained barley and fry over for a couple of minutes.


Add salt, pepper and enough to water until almost the top of the pot.

(If you use boiling water, it will come to the boil a lot quicker). Cover and bring to a boil. Lower flame and cook for 1 hour if barley is pre soaked or 2-3 hours if barley is not pre soaked.

Et Voila!

Chicken Soup

There are a million different ways of making chicken soup. I will give you my version.
The process I use is to make a very clear fat free soup. You can also achieve this by making the soup a day in advance and then skimming it whilst it is cold. I like my version because you get fresh soup...

Ingredients:

Raw Chicken (You could use necks, backs, wings or pieces of chicken)
Any veg you like (I use onions, courgette, carrots, celery and leeks) many people put sweet potatoes, swede, parsnip, turnip etc.
Salt, Pepper and Onion Powder

Put whatever chicken you decide to use in a pot and add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring water to a boil and keep boiling for about 10 minutes - you will see all the scum come to the top, this is what you are trying to achieve.


After 10 minutes, turn off the fire and remove the chicken from the pan. The chicken should look quite white.

Pour out the dirty water and rinse out the pan.


Place the chicken in the clean pan and add all the veg - cut up however you want.


Season with salt, pepper and onion powder.

Fill the pan with hot water (boiled) almost til the top.

Once the soup has come to the boil, turn the flame down so it is simmering.

Cook covered for 4-5 hours. (Officially ready after a couple of hours, but the longer it cooks for the nicer the soup).
Every so often, check the water level of the soup. If it needs topping up use boiling water.

Note: I often use pieces of chicken as they make a good soup but also taste delicious cooked in the soup and, with the chicken in the soup the soup becomes our whole meal.

Et Voila!

Kneidlach

Ingredients:
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Cold Water
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 tsp Salt
Sprinkle of Black Pepper
3/4 cup Matza Meal

With a fork, beat eggs in a bowl. Add water, oil, salt and pepper and mix well.

Add matza meal and mix well - easiest way is with a fork.


Cover well and refrigerate for half hour to set.

Once set, roll into balls. (Easiest way is to keep on wetting your hands by having a bowl of cold water next to you).

You can either cook them in a pot of hot salted water or directly in the soup.

After a couple of seconds of dropping them in the pot, they will float to the top, this is normal and this is how they will stay. You can poke them down with a spoon or a fork a couple of times during their cooking time.
Cook for 30-40 minutes. (Preferably with the pot covered or mostly covered). If they are being cooked in the soup, you can leave them in there until you are ready to serve soup (yes hours and hours). If you cook them in a separate pot, drain the water and add the kneidlach to the soup.

This recipe makes roughly 12 kneidlach and is for firmer rather than softer ones. If you want them softer, use 1/2 cup Matza Meal instead of the 3/4 cup (Set in fridge in the same way).

Note: These freeze very well, so you can make a double batch and freeze in portions.

P.S. I often make these in a Parev pot in salted hot water and because they freeze so well, they can be used in any soup.

Et Voila!

Pinhead Barley Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

Pinhead Barley
Onions
Fresh Garlic
Carrots
Courgettes
Celery

Soak the barley by putting it in a container or bowl and covering it with boiling hot water. Cover well and leave to soak for at least an hour. (The longer you leave it for the better, as this reduces the stodginess in the soup making it nice and light). If you cannot soak the barley before you can still make the soup but it will be more stodgy and will need top ups of water during cooking.



To make the soup:
Cut up all veg (I didn't have any courgettes in, so made it without)

Put veg in a pan bearing in mind you are going to be adding the barley and lots of water - allow for boiling space otherwise you will get a very dirty hob!

Drizzle some oil over veg and fry over for a few minutes on a medium flame. Drain the barley and add it to the veg. Fill the pot with water (preferably hot water) season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower flame and simmer. If you have pre soaked the barley, cook for one hour, if you havent, cook for two hours. During cooking time stir the soup occasionally. If you havent pre soaked barley it is possible the soup will need a top up of water during cooking.

Et Voila!