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Hssoua belboula (barley soup with milk)
Hssoua belboula: creamy cracked-barley soup with milk, cumin and a knob of butter
Few things are as soothing on a cold morning in Fez or Marrakech as a bowl of hssoua belboula, the pale, porridge-like soup of cracked barley cooked in water and then milk. Many families eat it for breakfast in winter or as a light supper, and it often appears on the Ramadan table too. It is mild and gently savoury, with a whisper of cumin and a knob of butter melting on top, and the barley grains stay soft but slightly chewy. Serve it piping hot with a little extra cumin to sprinkle, plus dates or bread on the side. A common slip is adding the milk too early and boiling hard, which catches on the bottom and scorches the soup. Chef's tip: rinse the barley grits in a sieve until the water runs almost clear; it washes away loose flour so the soup is creamy rather than gluey.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz cracked barley grits (belboula)or pearl barley pulsed briefly in a blender
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp ground cuminplus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)to drizzle
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 3 ½ oz cracked barley grits (belboula) in a fine sieve under cold running water, rubbing it with your fingers, until the water is nearly clear.
Step 2: Put the barley in a pot with 4 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, stirring so it does not settle on the bottom.
5 minStep 3: Turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the grains are swollen and soft and most of the water has been absorbed.
20 minStep 4: Pour in 2 cups whole milk and stir in 1 tsp ground cumin. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the soup is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Keep the heat low once the milk is in; boiled hard, milk catches on the bottom and gives the whole pot a burnt taste.
10 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tbsp butter until it melts, then taste for salt. Add a splash of hot water or milk if you like it thinner.
Step 6: Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with a pinch of cumin and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil if you like. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hssoua belboula (barley soup with milk) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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