Chicken Barley Soup

Oh how tempted I was to use my slow cooker for this one, but I didn’t. Someone once told me too many of my recipes use the slow cooker. I guess I got lazy and just relied on that beautiful cooking machine to do all the work. But I got to say, making this soup is pretty darn easy too.

Since during the week, I don’t have the luxury to eat lunch at home much, I try to freeze meals for the week that I can just grab and heat up on campus. This is no exception. This soup freezes perfectly, and reheats wonderfully. There was no change in consistency or taste, which is always a delight.

Anyways, now that Im done describing this recipe, let me just tell you how to make it.

Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients

1.5 lb raw chicken breast

3 large carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 tsp olive oil

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup pearly barley

3 cups baby spinach

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

Directions

1. Over medium heat, add the oil to a large stock pot. 
2. Add in the carrots and celery, and cook until slightly soft.
3. Add in the broth, chicken, and spices.
4. Bring to a simmer, and cover with lid for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove chicken breast and shred it with two forks, add back in.
6. Add in the barley and bring back to a simmer for another 30 minutes.
7. In the last 5-10 minutes, add in the spinach.

Nutritional Information (5 servings)

Calories 262, Total Fat 2.6g, Cholesterol 81mg, Sodium 378mg, Carbohydrates 26.6g, Dietary Fiber 6.0g, Sugars 2.7g, Protein 36.9g