Creamy Lemon-Turkey Soup with Barley and Mint

Based on the homestyle egg-thickened Greek soup avgolemono, this nourishing bowl is our favorite use for leftover holiday turkey and a particularly soothing sick-day meal. Traditionally this dish is made with orzo or white rice, but we swapped those refined carbs out for pearl barley, which is higher in several sleep-supporting components, including fiber, tryptophan, gamma-aminobutyric acid, magnesium, vitamin B6 and zinc. — Marie-Pierre St-Onge and Kat Craddock

Creamy Lemon-Turkey Soup with Barley and Mint

Serves 6

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
• 3 bay leaves
• ¾ cup pearl barley
• 9 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
• 5 large eggs
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest 
• 2 teaspoons dried mint, plus more for topping
• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red chile flakes, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to smell lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, 25–30 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice and zest, and the mint, and set aside.

Stir the turkey into the soup and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately and quickly whisk 2 cups of the broth into the lemon-egg mixture. Transfer the lemon-egg-broth mixture back into the pot, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from seizing before they are completely incorporated.

Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot continuously, until the liquid thickens, 4–6 minutes. (Don’t let the mixture boil.) Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and black pepper. To serve, divide the soup among bowls, top with more mint and black pepper, and sprinkle with the chile flakes, if using.​

Tip: If you’re meal-prepping for the week and don’t have leftover turkey on hand, buy a couple of whole turkey legs, remove and discard the skin, and simmer the meat in a large pot of water with an onion, a celery stalk and a carrot for an hour. Remove and discard the mushy vegetables, strain and reserve the broth for the soup, and, when cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discarding the bones.

Excerpted from Eat Better, Sleep Better: 75 Recipes and A 28-Day Meal Plan That Unlock the Food-Sleep Connection. Copyright @ 2024 by Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge and Kat Craddock. Photography Copyright © 2024 by David Malosh. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.​​​