Spring Chicken & Barley Soup

A light, barley soup. . .perfect for Spring and Summer. This is a high fiber, low fat and heart healthy soup. Recipe originally from Eating Well Magazine, but switched up a bit after making! Feel free to add some salt free all purpose seasoning or Italian Seasoning in the last 5 minutes of cooking; I used Don's Flavor Enhancer With Very Low Sodium with great results. The orange peel is the secret ingredient in this recipe. . .brightens it right up!

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped onion
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped celery
• 2  minced garlic cloves
• 6  cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1  large chicken breast, skin removed, trimmed (8-10 ounces)
• 1⁄3 cup pearl barley
• 1⁄3 cup  shredded fresh spinach
• 1⁄3 cup  sliced mushrooms
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1  cup  trimmed and diagonally sliced asparagus (1/4 inch thick)
• 1⁄2 cup  thawed  frozen peas
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt
•  fresh ground pepper
• 1⁄2 cup  lightly packed torn fresh basil leaf
• 1  strip orange zest (1/2 by 2 inches)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. 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.
4. Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-size pieces; discard the bone.
6. When the barley is done, add the chicken, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes with juice, asparagus, peas, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer.
7. Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.
8. Gather basil and orange zest and finely chop together.
9. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a generous pinch of the basil mixture.