Persian Chicken Barley Soup (Soup e Jo)

Barley. How did we come to this? Just about the only times I encounter the ancient grain, long a staple of the Western diet, are when it’s malted and fermented in beer. And though we’ve been rekindling old fires with farro, spelt, and quinoa, barley seems to be largely left out of this next-wave appreciation, perhaps due to its containing gluten.