Chicken Barley SoupI’m a soup enthusiast… and I adore being able to throw a han

Chicken Barley SoupI’m a soup enthusiast… and I adore being able to throw a handful of practically any combination of ingredients into a pot and have a delicious supper no sooner than the first signs of a soft bubble. That also means I like to experiment, which can be a bit interesting for the tenants of The Drunken Sheep. Squirrel soup anyone? No? Come on! Where’s your sense of adventure? -sigh-Do not fret, I will not make you try that one, at least not just yet…Instead, today I will share with you a delicious variant of chicken noodle soup, but with a twist. Oh my. Have I caught your interest? Click “Read More”! So, as I was saying, this soup is quite like the infamous chicken noodle, but has a pleasant surprise. Instead of adding noodles, I substituted barley. Why am I using barley?Well, aside from being tasty as hell, barley has some history to it, too. Barley was a staple to the Celtic diet. Although its true that they incorporated this ancient grain in baked goods, like bannock, as well as soups and porridges,  they most often used it for brewing their beer. And, unlike our alcoholic beverages today, their barley beer was much more intoxicating. Why we ever stopped making such a godly beverage, I will never know (-_-) .  Anyway, since barley is extremely fibrous and has a high content of maltose (sugars),  it was the perfect grain to sustain their tribes during the colder months all while keeping them healthy and energized.So, as promised: Hearty Chicken Barley Soup Serves 4-6, Prep./Cook time ~90min. Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil ½ large onion, diced 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped 8 cups of chicken stock 1 ½ cup of pearl barley 3 skinless chicken breasts (boneless optional) 1 tbsp of parsley Salt & pepper to taste Preparation: After peeling/chopping the vegetables, add the olive oil to a large cooking pot and heat to medium/low heat. Throw in the onions first, until soft and wilted, followed by the carrots and celery. Continue cooking veggies until the onions begin to caramelize. Then add in chicken stock and barley. Turn heat up to medium/high. Once the soup comes to a rolling boil, lower the stove top to a medium heat, add in chicken breast and parsley, and cover with lid. Continue to cook for 30 minutes. Once the soup is about ready, remove chicken, shred, and return it to the pot. Add salt and pepper to your liking and the soup is ready! Did you enjoy this fine meal? Let me know!  -- source link

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