Lemony Chicken Soup With Spinach Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

1 tablespoon	15ml	Butter or oil
3 1/2 cups	829ml	Thinly-sliced leeks
		= (or coarsely chopped onions)
4 cups	948ml	Water
3 lbs	1362g / 48oz	Chicken parts - skinned
		= (preferably thighs)
3		Celery ribs - cut 1" slices (large)
4		Carrots - peeled, and (large)
		Cut into 1" chunks
1/2 cup	118ml	Pearl barley - rinsed
2 cups	80g / 2.8oz	Bay leaves (large)
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Dried thyme leaves
		Salt - to taste
4 cups	948ml	Chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs	681g / 24oz	Fresh spinach - trimmed, chopped,
		And thoroughly rinsed
		= (or two 10-oz packages frozen chopped
		Spinach)
1/4 cup	23g / 0.8oz	Minced fresh dill
4 tablespoons	60ml	Freshly-squeezed lemon juice - (to 5)
		= (from 2 juicy lemons)

Recipe Instructions

Over medium-high heat, heat the butter in the cooker until it begins to foam. Cook the leeks, stirring frequently, until they soften, about 5 minutes. (If using onions, for a sweeter taste, cook them, covered, over low heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.) Add the water and bring to a boil as you prepare and add the chicken parts, celery, carrots, barley, bay leaves, thyme, and salt.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold, running water. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken parts to a cutting board. Taste the barley, and if it is still hard (it should be chewy but tender), return to high pressure for 3 minutes more.

Spoon off any fat visible on the surface. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the chicken broth and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and boil the soup over medium heat until the spinach is tender, about 2 minutes for fresh and 5 minutes for frozen.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces. Return to the cooker. When the chicken is good and hot, turn off the heat and stir in the dill, lemon juice, and salt to taste.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Variation:

u Thai-Inspired Chicken Soup: Substitute one 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk for 2 cups of the water. Omit the thyme and cook the soup with the finely chopped bulbs of 2 stalks fresh lemongrass. You may add 4 to 6 ounces small, shelled shrimp at the end and boil over medium heat until they turn pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Substitute cilantro or basil for the dill and use lime juice instead of lemon. Season with Japanese soy sauce (tamari or shoyu) instead of salt. (Note: If you can't find fresh lemongrass, look for Thai Kitchen's lemongrass bottled in a light brine. Do not use dried lemongrass.)

Source:
The Pressured Cook by Lorna J. Sass

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