Allegra McEvedy’s Turkey, Barley & Sage Soup

There are places where a turkey beats a chicken hands down & one of them is undoubtedly in the stock department. Missing the opportunity to turn your post-Christmas carcass into litres of delicious soup would be a travesty.

INGREDIENTS

• Serves 6
• 150g barley, rinse then soak in cold water for 30 mins to an hour
• 3 tbsp butter or goose fat
• 1 small leek, sliced & washed
• 1 carrot, peeled & diced Half a swede or turnip or whatever root veg you have handy, peeled & diced
• 3 garlic cloves, rough-chopped
• 1 chilli, diced (& seeds in if you like it warm)
• A good handful of sage, chopped
• 1.5 ltrs warm turkey stock (keep to one side any carrots & onions left from making your stock) + couple of handfuls of turkey (leg meat preferably), chopped or shredded
• Large handful of rocket, washed & rough chopped
• Some Parmesan
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the butter in a large pan on a high heat.
2. Add the leek, carrot & any other root veg, give it a good stir & cook over a medium heat with the lid on for about 5 mins until just softening.
3. Stir in the garlic, chilli & sage. Fry for approx 1 min with the lid off.
4. Tip in the soaked barley, stir, then pour in the stock & season.
5. Bring up to a simmer & add any veg left over from your stock-making, roughly diced. Gently simmer for around 30 minutes or until the barley is tender.
6. Once the barley is pretty much there, stir in the shredded meat & allow to warm through for a couple of minutes.
7. If your soup is looking a little thick, add a little more stock if desired.

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