Chicken Barley Soup

Those of you that know me well know that I never follow a recipe to a T. I have been doing well following the P90X2 recipes but we've been using them since January so I wanted to mix it up a bit. This came out even better than expected! I am AMAZED! I even had it for breakfast today! what?!?! It's good! 

Chicken Barley Soup

Serves 6-8

Time till serving: approximately 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
• 1 tsp dry basil
• 1 tsp original Mrs. Dash
• 1/8 tsp cayenne (*optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2TBSP olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless -chicken breast, diced small or chopped in processor (leave it out and it's a great vegetarian dish!)
• 1 qt chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/3 c barley
• 2 handfuls snap peas, snapped into bite sized pieces
• 1 can white beans (cannoli, great northern, etc), do not drain
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
• water, as needed

Directions

1. Saute onion, carrots, celery, garlic, dry herbs, and seasonings in olive oil over medium heat.
2. When onions become transparent (5-10 minutes) add chicken and cook until opaque.
3. Add in broth, tomatoes, and barley. Bring to a boil.
4. Add water as needed to keep it approximately 1" above the ingredients.
5. Reduce to a simmer, cover loosely with a lid, and stir occasionally for 40 minutes.
6. Add peas, beans, and potatoes and return to simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes and barley are tender. (Barley will have a little "chew" to it,)

You'll love it, I promise! 

Linking today!

Check it out!