Chicken and Barley Stew

Submitted by Bertha C.

"Nice stew with a tossed green salad and sourdough bread."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1⁄2 cup raw barley
• 5 cups chicken stock (I use boullion cubes & water)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

directions

1. Toss all of the ingredients, except the parsley into a large stock pot.
2. Bring to a boil, cover loosely and reduce the heat to low.
3. Let the stew simmer for about 1 1/4 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the stew and slice it into bite-sized pieces.
5. Then return the chicken to the stew and continue to simmer for 15 min more.
6. Swirl the parsley into each bowl before serving.

Reviews

[SugarJen]

When i first reviewed this recipe I gave it 4 stars for being bland, but after making it a few times I have found a way to make it spectacular. First, start with a good stock, not boullion cubes. Next, increase the celery and use the inside leafy part and top leafy part - just chop them up. Then substitute fresh thyme, add some sage (fresh is really best) and increase all the herbs by about 2-3times as much. Also, I add several cloves of garlic. With the new recipe my husband and I can't get enough, even though the soup is quite filling. I have also tried adding some lemon juice, which changes the flavor a bit and is just wonderful.

 

[rsprinci_11518721]

I've made a similar beef stew with barely recipe which calls for mushrooms. I added them to this one as well. Also, I added a little worchestershire sauce. Both additions make the stew a bit more hearty.

 

[lolablitz]

Great recipe! I made quite a few changes, but I wanted to post so I could repeat it in the future because it was so delicious! I sauteed the onion and 4 cloves of garlic in a little EVOO before adding the stock. I used 3 cups of stock + 3 cups of H20 + 2 tsp chicken base. I had roasted a chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips, so I added the leftover chicken and veggies to the stock. I added about 3/4 cup of sherry because I Love sherry in chicken soup, and 3 stalks of celery and 1 tsp of sage per another reviewer's suggestion and it was a perfect compliment! Thanks so much for the recipe, Bertha, this soup was awesome!

 

[Jonathan Melendez]

I had this for dinner last night and it was amazing! The flavor was spot-on and it was so easy to make. Next time I think I'll make a quick pesto and serve the stew with a dollop of it on top.

 

[NoraMarie]

Very good but next time I'll add carrots for color.