Simple Chicken and Oat Groat Soup

akgrown's Note:

Once cooked, oat groats possess a resilient bite similar to that of wheat berries. They add a delightful textural contrast to the other elements of this hearty and satisfying soup. From Cooking Light.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup whole oat groats
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3/4 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 cup green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine 2 1/2 c water and groats in a large sauce pan; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 mins or until tender(do not overcook). Drain; wipe pan with paper towel.
3. Heat oil in pan over med-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; saute 8 mins or until tender.
4. Add zucchini and garlic; saute 2 minutes
5. Add cooked groats, broth, and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in peas and basil.

Reviews

[yogiclarebear]

This was spectacular. I have recently gone gluten-free and found some gluten-free oat groats. This soup is now my chicken noodle soup! I didn't have green beans but added extras of the other veggies. I did not find this bland at all. The basil was the standout for me. I actually cooked the chicken in the pot until the outsides were not pink, then I boiled it with the soup. This left the chicken very tender. I would like to try this again soon with fresh chooped asparagus and maybe a hint of lemon juice.

[Chef #339672]

I was looking for ways to tuck some more oat bran into my husband's diet to control cholesterol, and I'm happy to have found this soup idea using the whole grain oats. It is certainly healthy and very good, if a little bland - but the seasoning might easily be adjusted or altered. It's only drawback is that it can be some time and work, cooking the groats, cooking the chicken, prepping all those veggies. Still, I will likely make it again because I love the idea of using the oats in something besides breakfast. I'll bet a lot of people could benefit from this idea; it might be a good idea to add some search terms after the recipe title - e.g. [groats oats heart cholesterol]. I only found this recipe because I forgot to put the "s" on the end of groats!