Chicken, Barley & Mushroom Soup
This healthy chicken soup recipe is chock-full of sturdy root vegetables and whole-grain barley. You can use any combination of dried and fresh mushrooms here. The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove—thin it as needed with more broth or water.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium leeks white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed, caps coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces white mushrooms sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Coarsely ground pepper to taste
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Soak dried shiitakes in boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms to remove excess liquid, then dice.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; cook, stirring, until very soft, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, fresh shiitakes, white mushrooms, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink on the outside, about 4 minutes.
- Add broth, barley, thyme, the reserved soaking liquid and chopped soaked mushrooms. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
Notes
Nutritional Information:
Serving size: 1¼ cups each
Per serving: 241 calories; 9 g fat(2 g sat); 4 g fiber; 24 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 44 mcg folate; 38 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 3,147 IU vitamin A; 6 mg vitamin C; 47 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 401 mg sodium; 611 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (63% daily value)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1½
Exchanges: ½ starch, 2½ vegetable, 1½ lean meat, ½ fat Recipe By: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2016
Serving Size: 8
Per serving: 241 calories; 9 g fat(2 g sat); 4 g fiber; 24 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 44 mcg folate; 38 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 3,147 IU vitamin A; 6 mg vitamin C; 47 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 401 mg sodium; 611 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (63% daily value)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1½
Exchanges: ½ starch, 2½ vegetable, 1½ lean meat, ½ fat Recipe By: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2016
Serving Size: 8