There’s nothing more comforting than a piping hot bowl of hearty soup – but have you ever had it with freekeh? Freekeh is a nutty, chewy and smokey grain that works well in soup, adding the perfect texture and flavour. This chicken freekeh soup includes a recipe for homemade broth, but you can also use store-bought to make it quicker. It’s a low effort but high reward soup that will leave you feeling satisfied.

Two bowls with freekeh and chicken soup with a pot of soup at the side, a spoon in the bowl and small plate with lemon wedges and cilantro on a blue and white tiled background.

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Why I love Cooking With Freekeh

I always have a bag of freekeh in my pantry to throw into soups or to make freekeh salad with. It’s a grain quite popular in the middle east, made from young wheat thats harvested early. It has a nutty and slightly smokey flavour profile, and a chewy texture. Perfect for holding up to long simmering soups without turning into mush. So if you love a good texture to your soup – you should try it!

Freekeh can be purchased either whole or cracked. This recipe uses whole freekeh, but you can easily substitute cracked freekeh and slightly decrease the cooking time. It’s texture will be similar to that of bulgur.

How To Make Chicken and Freekeh Soup

In this recipe, I walk you through how to make your own homemade broth to use as a base for the soup. Personally, I don’t think anything beats the flavour of homemade broth and it’s completely worth the extra few steps. But if you are short on time, feel free to skip it and use store-bought broth.

You may use any cut of bone-in chicken (drumsticks, thighs or full legs). I prefer bone-in as opposed to chicken breast for deeper flavour, but if you must use chicken breast, you can. Make sure to decrease the broth cook time.

Ingredient shot with chicken drumsticks in a clear container, whole carrots in a white bowl, halved onions in a small white bowl, a white bowl with chopped carrots, a small white bowl with olive oil, a small plate with seven spice, pepper and salt, another small bowl with cardamon pods and bay leaves, a cinnamon stick and peppercorns beside the bowl. another bowl with freekeh and a white bowl with chopped onions on a terrazzo background.

As for vegetables and add-ins, they are completely customizable. I go for onion and carrots as a base, but you can also add peas, celery, bell peppers, spinach, kale or even corn.

How to Make the Broth:

To start, season the chicken with salt and sear it in a heavy bottomed pot until lightly golden. Add the onions, carrots, whole spices and bay leaves.

Browned chicken legs with bay leave in a white soup pot on a terrazzo background.

Cover the pot with water and allow it to simmer for at least 45 minutes on medium heat, covered or half covered. The broth is ready when the chicken is fully cooked, easily removed from the bone, and the broth is flavourful.

Chicken legs with whole carrots, halved onions and bay leaf with broth in a white pot on a terrazzo background.
Chicken legs with whole carrots, halved onions and bay leaf with broth in a white pot on a terrazzo background.

Strain the broth from the vegetables and spices, then use two forks to shred the chicken. Set both of them aside.

NOTE: At this point, you can freeze both the broth and the chicken to use for later. Or you can proceed with making the soup.

Chicken broth in a glass bowl with a blue bowl of shredded chicken at the top with a spoon on a terrazzo background.
Shredded chicken with two metal forks in a blue bowl with a glass bowl of chicken broth at the side on a terrazzo background.

In the same pot, add the olive oil and soften the onions. Add the carrots and all the spices and cook for a few minutes. Then add the drained freekeh and toast it for a few minutes.

NOTE: Sometimes, freekeh will have some debris and small stones from processing. Be sure to pick through it and ensure it is free of debris before washing and draining it.

Cover the pot with water and simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes, until the freekeh is cooked. It will taste tender with a slight chew. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot.

To serve, squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice along with a bit of chopped parsley.

Soup with freekeh, chopped carrots and onions in broth with a wooden spoon in a white pot on a terrazzo background.

Storage Instructions

This soup will last for 4 to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge. However, you can also easily freeze it because freekeh is a sturdy grain that will hold up well to freezing. Portion the soup into freezer bags or air tight containers and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then heat in a pot and enjoy.

Freekeh and chicken soup in a white pot with a metal ladle, a bowl of soup at the side and a small bowl of cilantro. A white and black striped tea towel is at the side on a terrazzo background.

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5 from 2 ratings

Chicken Freekeh Soup (With Homemade Broth)

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This Chicken Freekeh Soup is warm and cozy, all the things you want in a soup! With an aromatic homemade broth, hearty vegetables and nutty freekeh, it comes together easily.
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Ingredients
 

For the broth

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks, 870 g
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 large carrot, cut in half
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 black peppercorns

For the soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon seven spice, or substitute allspice
  • 1 1/2 cups whole freekeh, picked through for stones and rinsed clean

To serve

  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • lemon wedges

Instructions
 

To make the broth

  • Note: You can use ready-made broth and cooked shredded chicken, If so, skip ahead to the making the soup section.
  • In a large soup pot, start by heating the olive oil on medium heat. Then sprinkle the chicken drumsticks with the salt and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly golden.
  • Add the carrot, onion, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and peppercorns. Stir to toast the spices lightly.
  • Cover the pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken and strain the broth and set it aside. Use two forks to shred the chicken and remove all the bones.

To make the soup

  • In the same pot used for the broth, wipe the bottom of the pot dry. Add the olive oil on medium heat, then add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the chopped carrots and the spices. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the freekeh and stir to toast it for 1-2 minutes. Then, add water to cover the contents of the pot (at least 4 to 6 cups) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes. Stir the freekeh periodically and add more water as needed. The freeekeh is cooked once it is tender with a chewy texture.
  • Add the shredded chicken to the pot, stir and adjust salt to taste. You can add more water if you like a more soupy consistency. If you do add water, make sure to allow it to simmer for 10 minutes so the flavors develop.
  • Serve with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley for garnish.

Notes

  • You can leave out the carrots from the soup, or add other vegetables you like such as peas, corn, spinach or peppers.
  • You may skip the homemade broth section and use store-bought chicken broth along with leftover shredded chicken. Make sure to adjust the salt if needed.
  • Ensure you look over the freekeh and make sure there are no small stones or debris. If so, pick through it carefully. Then, wash it well and drain it.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 365kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 967mg, Potassium: 306mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2145IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 2mg
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