Turkey Soup with Lemon and Barley

Pinterest has been such a blessing to me - I can pin recipes I think I want to try....and yesterday, I saw this one that my friend Kate had posted.   I already had prepared a turkey stock - the last thing I do each Thanksgiving is to throw the carcass with whatever meat is left on it in the slow cooker with an onion and a carrot and a bay leaf or two, and let it cook on low all night.   The following morning, I pick off the meat and save the stock to make soup.   But after a couple Thanksgiving dinners now, I am getting tired of the traditional Thanksgiving flavors.  I made nachos for lunch and for dinner, I tried my hand at this soup, and it is terrific.  It tastes light and lemony.   It's just what I need after a couple days of really heavy eating.

Turkey Soup with Lemon and Barley

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3 T olive oil

1 large onion,  minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and black pepper

1 t ground turmeric

1/2 t ground cumin

1/2 t ground ginger

Juice of a lemon (about 3 to 4 Tbsp)

Strips of lemon zest, from one lemon - peel it with a vegetable peeler

6 cups turkey stock or chicken stock

1 cup barley

Whatever leftover turkey you have kicking around

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and cook another minute, then mix in the turmeric, cumin, ground ginger and a generous pinch of salt.

Pour in the lemon juice and turkey stock and turkey and add the strips of lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, then add the barley. Simmer gently until the barley is cooked, about an hour. 

When the barley is cooked through, add the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the lemon zest strips before serving.