Chicken Barley Soup

(246)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
4

Warm up with a bowl of soup that's brimming with healthy grains and bright vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 carrots, diced small

  • 4 celery stalks, diced small

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced small

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 5 sprigs thyme

  • 1 cup quick-cooking barley

  • 5 ounces baby spinach (5 cups)

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes.

  2. Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

  3. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

    chicken-barley_soup_2.jpg

Cook's Notes

Quick-cooking barley has been hulled, steamed, and then dried, so it will become soft and plump in 10 minutes as it simmers in broth with chicken and aromatics.

Originally appeared: Everyday Food, October 2011

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