Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 8 cups chicken stock, homemade or canned
• 1 quart water
• 1 generous T Better Than Bouillon organic vegetable soup base
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 T dried parsley
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup sliced or diced carrots
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste, salt if desired

Directions

1. If you’re starting without leftover chicken, set 2 chicken breasts in a small saucepan, cover them with some water, and stir in a little low-sodium chicken base. Keep the heat very gentle and simmer for about 20 minutes, just until the chicken is barely cooked through. Set it aside until it is cool enough to handle, then cut it into small dice.
2. In a large stock pot, add the chicken stock, water, vegetable soup base, thyme, whether dried or frozen, poultry seasoning, and parsley. Let that bubble quietly for 15 minutes while you get the vegetables and chicken ready.
3. After the 15 minutes are up, stir in the onion, celery, carrots, and barley. Bring the pot back to a simmer, then cook until the barley is almost tender, about 45 minutes, and add the diced chicken at that point. If the broth has cooked down more than you’d like, pour in a cup or so of water.
4. Once the barley is as soft as you want it, finish the soup with freshly ground black pepper and salt to your taste, then serve it hot. If you used canned chicken stock, taste first before you reach for the salt, since it may already have plenty.