Barley Soup (Krupnik)

Well-known Polish soup, boiled on vegetable/chicken stock with barley :) So easy, standard, tasty and filling, great for children :) 

Recipe from my Mum :)

Ingredients:

• 3 litres of water
• 500g of chicken breasts
• 3-4 big carrots
• 5 potatoes
• 1-2 parsleys
• 1/2 or 1/4 of a celery
• 1/2 onion or 1 green part of a leek
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 3-4 allspice pieces
• 150-200g of barley
• 4 tablespoons of ghee
• 1-3 teaspoons of black, ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• vegeta
• chopped parsley(green part, leaves) or dill (optional, though worth adding)

Preparation:

1. Take a big pot. Put water inside.
2. Wash chicken breasts, cut into cubes, add to the pot, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Start boiling (around 10-15 minutes on an average heat).
3. Using a spoon take out the 'foam' from the top of the soup and throw it away.
4. Wash all the vegetables. Peel and throw away the skins.
5. Cut carrots, parsley and onion/leek into slices, potatoes and celery into cubes.
6. When the water in the pot boils, add onion/leek to the pot, chopped celery and parsley. Boil for 15 minutes on an average or low heat.
7. Add carrots and potatoes and continue boiling.
8. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ghee, bay leaves, allspice and barley. Stir and keep boiling. Stir all the time for 5 minutes so that the barley doesn't burn.
9. Boil for 30 minutes and - if needed - season with vegeta and pepper.
10. Add chopped parsley or dill. It is also possible to sprinkle a particular plate with parsley or dill, it's not necessary to add it to the entire pot with the soup.
11. Bon Appetit! :)