Smoked Turkey & Barley Soup

By mdyess

Ingredients

• Six cups of chicken stock or homemade turkey stock
• Two cups chopped smoked turkey
• One -third cup dry pearl barley
• Two tablespoons bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
• One medium onion, chopped
• Two or three celery ribs, chopped
• Three -quarters cup chopped carrots
• One -half teaspoon chopped garlic (optional)
• One -half cup diced red potatoes
• One tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• One -half teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• One bay leaf
• One teaspoon dry thyme
• One -half teaspoon dry savory
• Two tablespoons fresh parsley,chopped (to use as garnish)

Preparation

Step 1

Saute the onion, celery, carrots and garlic in the baconfat, over medium high heat, until a
bit of brown forms at the edges of the veggies. Use a large pan so the vegetables aren't
crowded. In a small pan the veggies will steam and no browning will occur.
Add the veggies and barley to the soup pot with everything else, except the parsley, which
will garnish the soup when served.
Bring the smoked turkey soup up to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a
simmer, cover the pot, and continue cooking until the barley has softened, which should
take about one hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Sprinkle a bit of parsley onto the turkey soup when served. Offer fresh ground black pepper.A
couple slices of homemade bread will go nicely with the soup, too.