Spring Chicken & Barley Soup

From EatingWell: March/April 2009 — Subscribe Now!

You might think of barley as an addition to hearty, wintery soups, such as mushroom-barley or beef-barley soup, but it also works well in lighter soups like this one with chicken, asparagus and peas.

READER'S COMMENT:

"My husband and I loved this! I also added a few green onions, green and yellow bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, and 1 parsnip. The hint of orange was such a nice compliment to the soup. Will definitely be making this again!! Carrie,...

4 servings, about 2 cups each

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, divided
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large bone-in chicken breast, (10-12 ounces), skin removed, trimmed
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced asparagus, (1/4 inch thick)
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaves
1 strip orange zest, (1/2 by 2 inches)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 4 minutes. Grate or finely chop 1 clove garlic; add to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 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. Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-size pieces; discard the bone.
When the barley is done, add the chicken, tomatoes and juice, asparagus, peas, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.
Coarsely chop the remaining garlic clove. Gather basil, orange zest and the garlic and finely chop together. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a generous pinch of the basil mixture.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat the soup, thin with broth if desired and finish with Step 4 just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 265 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 39 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 7 g fiber; 745 mg sodium; 405 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv), Iron (15% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat