Chicken Barley Soup
When it’s cold outside, warm up with a bowl of this Chicken and Barley Soup. It’s made with chicken breast, carrots, onions, celery and barley.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped onions
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1½ pounds skinless, bone-in chicken breast (14 ounces cooked)
- 7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅔ cup dry Italian hulled barley
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: Salt
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add oil, carrots, onion, celery and garlic; stir. Cook until just fragrant.
- Add chicken, broth, parsley and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until chicken and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken, shred or cut meat, discard bones; return chicken meat to the pot and add barley.
- Adjust salt if needed and add freshly ground pepper. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes, or until barley is cooked.
- Discard bay leaves and serve.
Notes
Fun fact: Using purple carrots can change the color of the soup.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Solasi is a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Concierge Nutrition in Encino. She has worked in several different settings, including hospitals, airlines and outpatient settings, helping many people with weight loss management programs and chronic diseases.
Her motto is “Let food be your medicine.” As a food lover, she strongly opposes depriving someone of their favorite food, she says. Her goal is to change someone’s eating habits gradually so they crave healthier food and adopt better lifestyle habits. To learn more, visit Concierge-Nutrition.com.
