Spring Chicken & Barley Soup |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes |
Ready In: 65 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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A light, barley soup. . .perfect for Spring and Summer. This is a high fiber, low fat and heart healthy soup. Recipe originally from Eating Well Magazine, but switched up a bit after making! Feel free to add some salt free all purpose seasoning or Italian Seasoning in the last 5 minutes of cooking; I used Don's Flavor Enhancer With Very Low Sodium with great results. The orange peel is the secret ingredient in this recipe. . .brightens it right up! Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil |
1/2 cup finely chopped onion |
1/2 cup finely chopped celery |
2 minced garlic cloves |
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth |
1 large chicken breast, skin removed, trimmed (8-10 ounces) |
1/3 cup pearl barley |
1/3 cup shredded fresh spinach |
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms |
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes |
1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced asparagus (1/4 inch thick) |
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas |
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt |
fresh ground pepper |
1/2 cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaf |
1 strip orange zest (1/2 by 2 inches) |
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add broth, chicken and barley. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon.
4. Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-size pieces; discard the bone.
6. When the barley is done, add the chicken, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes with juice, asparagus, peas, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer.
7. Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.
8. Gather basil and orange zest and finely chop together.
9. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a generous pinch of the basil mixture.
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