Soup Jo is Cream of Barley Soup. It is very wholesome and satisfying and perfect for this time of year. It has the barley (jo) goodness combined with fresh ingredients. It is very healthy, thick and creamy without using any heavy cream. The secret is in the simple white sauce (bechamel sauce) that is made with low fat milk. The pearled barley naturally thickens this Soup Jo as it cooks. I cook the pearled barley ahead of time. It keeps well in the refrigerator for couple of days and in the freezer for several months. I cook a whole bag or box which is usually 22-24 ounces, use what I need and freeze the rest in small baggies. Soup Jo (Cream of Barley Soup) can be served with or without fresh lemon juice since it is added at the end after the soup is ready. If you’re not a big fan of citrus flavor in your soup you can easily leave it out.
Also sometimes I like to add a few barberries (zereshk) when serving Soup Jo. Zereshk is the sour berries of edible barberry bush sold in the Middle Eastern markets. For those of us who like zereshk, this is a very nice garnish, and if you’re like my daughter you will add a spoonful of these little berries to your soup. This is an optional garnish.
Saute the diced shallots in the stockpot until translucent. Add cooked barley and chicken stock and simmer until thickened
Grate a carrot and add it to the pot
Add more chicken stock, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, simmer until nice and thick. For the vegetarian version of this recipe use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock.
Meanwhile make the white sauce; melt the butter in a nonstick 2-Qt saucepan
Add flour
Stir continuously
Until flour cooks into a golden color and has a nutty aroma, don’t overcook
Add half of the milk and whisk until thickened. Add the remaining milk and keep whisking until hot, but not thickened.
Add the hot white sauce to boiling soup and stir vigorously until all blended
Simmer Soup Jo to thicken a bit. Add the optional fresh lemon juice now and simmer for another couple of minutes, or just skip adding the lemon juice. Add the chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Serve Soup Jo with or without zereshk (barberries) and a slice of crusty bread. Enjoy!
- 2 medium shallots, diced small
- 1 TBSP butter
- 16 ounces cooked barley (3/4 cup dry, see notes)
- 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
- 2⅔ cups additional chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- ½ -3/4 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- FOR THE WHITE SAUCE (bechamel sauce)
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 packed TBSP flour
- 2 cups low-fat milk divided. I use 1% fat milk
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 2 TBSP fine chopped fresh parsley
- 1-2 teaspoon zereshk (barberries) (optional)
- Heat the butter in a 6-Qt stockpot; add diced shallots and saute until translucent.
- Add cooked barley and 3 cups of chicken stock.
- Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes, or until thickened.
- Add the grated carrot, 2⅔ cups additional chicken stock, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes, until thickened; keep it hot over medium low heat.
- Prepare the white sauce, heat 2 TBSP butter in a non-stick 2-Qt saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 2 TBSP flour and stir until the flour has a golden color and a nutty aroma, about 2 minutes.
- Add one cup of milk and beat with a whisk over medium heat constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Add another cup of milk, heat until hot but not boiling.
- Bring the soup to a boil over medium high and add the hot white sauce and stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook the soup uncovered for 10 minutes, or until it thickens. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
- Add the optional 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice and cook over medium heat for another 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, add chopped parsley and serve.
- Add a few optional barberries when serving the soup.
- Serve with slices of whole grain bread.
Zereshk (barberries) may be purchased at Mediterranean or Middle Eastern markets.
How to Cook Barley:
Barley foams up quite a bit while cooking, so to prevent boiling over and creating a big mess, you either have to cook it uncovered or cook it on very low heat, both of which methods will result in a prolonged cooking time that also requires keeping a close eye on it.
This is a really easy method of cooking barley that can be done a day in advance:
Pick through ¾ cup pearled barley and rinse under cold water. Add the barley to a 2-Qt saucepan.
Add 2 ½ cups water and ¼ tsp salt. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes without covering the saucepan.
Remove the saucepan from heat and cover tightly with the lid and set aside in the room temperature. Check back in 4-5 hours. Almost all of the water will be absorbed, and the barley will be tender and ready to use in any recipe.
Very good Homa
Very good Homa
Thank you Leeza!
Soooo delicious ! I will be making this a lot this winter!
Oh good! It’s delicious and very satisfying; enjoy 🙂
This was amazing! And it’s actually somewhat healthy. Didn’t feel like a blimp after eating which is surprising for a creamy soup
Oh good, so glad you liked it! Yes, this soup is much healthier and lighter than the other version where cream is used as a thickener. Please keep in touch and have a great week 🙂
I plan on making this tomorrow! However, I didn’t get the chance to cook Barley today.. do I have to make it a day in advance? Please advise as I plan on making everything from scratch tomorrow (including cooking Barley?)
Hi Marissa; you could make the barley on the same day. It easily foams up and could get pretty messy even on low heat, when the pot is covered with the lid; that is the reason why I like the boil and cover technique described in the recipe. Please keep in mind that the barley should be quite tender before continuing with the rest of the recipe.
If I’d like to add chicken to this, when do I do so in the cooking process?
You could add the cooked chicken 10 minutes after you add the carrots.
Thank you for the amazing recipe! I had never used barley in cooking but it was delicious – will make again.
You’re so welcome Nancy; i’m glad you like this recipe 🙂
Very well written easy to follow recipe resulting in a very delicious soup o’ jo.
Thanks for your comment Tara; I’m thrilled that you’ve enjoyed this recipe. Please keep in touch!
سلام ممنون بابت زحمتتون من امشب درست میکنم سوپ رو ،فردا نظرمو اعلام میکنم
سلام پرستو جان، نوش جونتون
Hi Homa,
Had this soup in a Persian restaurant recently…I am in love with it and will try your recipe. Q: does it matter what type of parsley is used?(American/Italian/Cilantro).
Thank you ahead of time:)
Hi Kai; I’m glad to hear that you’ve found your favorite soup recipe here and would love to read all about your thoughts on it after you’ve tried it. Both curly leaf (American) and flat leaf (Italian) parsley will work in this recipe. The cilantro on the other hand has a different flavor that I love in other recipes, but I would stick with the parsley in this soup. Have a great week!
Love this! My Iranian boyfriend always brings this for me and also a large pot of very garlic-y Kashke bademjaan when i am sick, it really helps recover from colds and flu!
Hello Vic; it is lovely to hear from you! I must congratulate you for having such a thoughtful boyfriend, who takes care of you and apparently knows his way around the kitchen 😉 Thanks so much for writing to me and please keep in touch!
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! Yours is the best one I’ve tried and way better than the ones you get in restaurants. Getting ready to make a batch now. ?
My pleasure dear Mari; that is wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for writing to me. Have a great weekend and please keep in touch! Happy cooking 🙂
For instructions on cooking the barley, it says to use 3/4 cup of barley. Will this cook up to be enough for this recipe that calls for 16 oz of barley? Do we measure the 16 oz of barley before it’s cooked or after?
Hi Jazzmine, your email had somehow gone to spam, this happens sometimes and I’m sorry for the late reply. I take it from your other emails that you have cooked the 3/4 cup dry barley that is the right amount for this recipe. I cook my barley in bulk and freeze it, and the 16 ounce cooked barley is referring to that.
I tried cream of barley soup for the 1st time at a Persian restaurant and really liked it. Was hoping to find a good replica and your recipe tasted like the restaurant’s, except even better!! It was perfect with only 1 Tbsp lemon juice and I omitted the parsley because I don’t care for it. I can’t believe how simple the ingredients are, yet it came out so flavorful! Thanks for an easy to make, delicious soup! I’m ready to try out your other recipes.
Dearest Jazzmine; it is really wonderful to hear from you! I love this soup and it is frequently on the menu in my house. I agree, many who are not into soup love this one. Thanks so much for writing to me and please keep in touch when you try my other recipes. I think you will find many favorites here 😉 Have a great weekend dear friend!
I think I’m posting too much but I just wanted to thank you again for such a delicious, hot, comfort food for cold days. I am not into making or eating soups, but I absolutely love the ease and taste of this. The best part is my WHOLE household loves it, too!
Salaam Homa! 🙂
I’ve made several of your dishes over the past couple of years – since I now have the privilege of having a lovely Persian woman in my life! This is one of my favorites.
My question is – my son is Celiac so I want to try a Gluten Free version – do you think steel cut oats would be a good substitute?
Salam Collin, great to hear from you! This soup is a favorite around my house too. I think the rolled oats also called old fashioned oats will result in a creamier soup than the steel cut oats.
I would really like to read your feedback when you try any of my recipes 🙂
Please take care and keep in touch
My dearest Persian Mama, your recipes have helped me so much over the years! I love how your flavours are elevated compared to most other websites and sometimes even cookbooks. I made this delicious soup today, and I am in heaven remembering this flavour from my childhood.
Dearest AnnMari, thanks so much for writing to me. Your comment just makes my day, as it has always been my goal to help everyone who loves Persian cuisine to actually be able to cook their favorite recipes! It is specially wonderful that this has brought back childhood memories for you! Please take care and keep in touch 🙂
I’m cooking this soup right now – what is the consistency of the soup at the end? Does the barley disintegrate and blend into the soup or does it still hold its shape?
Super, delicious soup- everyone enjoyed it.
Dear Kim, thanks so much for the feedback! I absolutely love this soup and I’m thrilled that everyone has enjoyed it. Please take care and keep in touch 🙂
Salaam Homa,
I have tried this soup served by my classmate who is a Persian. It was absolutely delicious. God willing I’ll be making your recipe. I have 2 quick queries if you can answer. First I have cracked barley instead of pear ones and so can I still make your recipe…or do I have to do certain changes?? Second I want to know how much is 16 ounces of cooked pearl barley (as per your recipe) in uncooked form. I guess you haven’t stated how much-uncooked pearl barley we have to use for your recipe…
Have a great weekend. God bless!
Salam Farah, I prefer to use pearl barley for this soup because the grains get soft and act as a natural thickener. I don’t think you will get the same result with the cracked barley.
Sorry about the confusion, I have mentioned the amount of dry barley in the notes at the end of the recipe. I’ve also just added it to the recipe
How to Cook Barley:
Pick through ¾ cup pearled barley and rinse under cold water. Add the barley to a 2-Qt saucepan.
Add 2 ½ cups water and ¼ tsp salt. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes without covering the saucepan.
Remove the saucepan from heat and cover tightly with the lid and set aside in the room temperature. Check back in 4-5 hours. Almost all of the water will be absorbed, and the barley will be tender and ready to use in any recipe.
Enjoy this soup in good health and take care
Made it with cracked barley and it was still scrumptious …thanks for the recipe. God bless!
Very glad to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know. Take care 🙂
This was one of the first things I ate when I arrived in Iran and have always remembered how good it was but have never found a recipe that lived up to my memory – until now. MERCI ! I always thought, however, that it was made with yogurt; is there another version or a different but similar soup ?
Hi Lonnie, I’m very glad to hear that this recipe brings back the memory of the soup that you had in Iran. I have never used yogurt in this particular recipe. I know that some cooks use heavy cream instead of the Béchamel sauce.
We love soup, or aash as we call the thicker soups, and believe it or not we have over 50 varieties with many similarities between the different recipes, so I hope you will find the one that you’re looking for 😉
Please take care and keep in touch
thank you for your recipes! I am first generation from Iran but grew up in America. My parents are from Tabriz and this recipe is the closest I have found to what I remember from when I was a kid. We have friends that used to make this and it was AMAZING but I know she used a lot more butter and heavy cream. I’m excited to try this recipe soon! I am also looking forward to trying your gheimeh and karafs khorest recipes 🙂
Dear Parisa, I’m very happy to meet another Tabrizi here 😉
I think you will love this recipe. I appreciate your support and hope to read your feedback when you cook this soup or any of my recipes.
Please take care and keep in touch 🙂