Veggie Chicken Barley Soup

This is a hybrid of two recipes and I'm too tired to tell which two. Since the Fall is in our presence, this is a great soup to start your Fall season. I will make this Veggie Chicken Barley Soup for the next two weeks. It freezes very well, but make sure, when you freeze the soup that it is completely cooled before you put it into the freezer.














What You Need to Buy:

Peanut Oil - 8 Tablespoons
Chicken Breast 2 Lbs.
Yellow Onion - 1 Large Size
Celery Bunch - Use 6 Stalks
Carrots - 4 peeled and chopped
Dried Thyme - 2 teaspoons
Bay Leaves - 2
Kosher Salt - 3 teaspoon
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Paprika - 1-2 teaspoons
Chicken and/or Vegetable Stocks - 8 Cups - 2 (1 QT) containers
Parsley - 1/2 cup

1. In a large pot bring 1 quart of water to boil, add chicken breasts and 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt. We are poaching. Cook for a minimum of 15 minutes. Make sure the chicken breasts are cooked through. Test one breast by cutting through the middle and if it's pink, put it back in water. Make sure all breast look white in the middle before you take them out of the water.

2. Remove the chicken from the pot and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle the chicken chunks with 1 teaspoon of Paprika and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Pour the chicken water into a bowl to be used for later.

3. Don't clean the pot it's the left overs from the brown chicken that will add flavor. In the same large pot add 4 Tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and place on medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until tender, stir regularly.

4. Add 2 teaspoons of thyme, 2 bay leaves, teaspoon of kosher salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the veggies.

5. Return the the chicken chunks to the pot and add 8 cups of chicken/veggie stock and 1 cup of barley.

6. Add the chicken water and bring the ingredients to a boil, then simmer on low for an hour.

You don't need to remove the bay leaves, but the experts say to, so eat it or ditch it :)

Enjoy,
Loving the Fall in the Midwest!!!