Chicken and Barley Soup

I thought I would begin my 2012 posts with a healthy recipe for you to enjoy this winter.  We love barley at our house, but until the other day I only had one way of cooking it {Beef and Barley Stew}.  Now, I've added another barley soup to my recipe index, and it was a hit!  This recipe comes from my sister's mother-in-law, and it did not disappoint.  It comes together quickly and if you serve it with some Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you'll have a fantastic meal!

Chicken and Barley Soup


1 1/2 cups chicken broth {or a 14.5 oz can of broth}
3 cups water
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 jar of salsa
1 cup barley
3 cups cooked chicken
small bag of frozen corn kernels, optional
14.5 oz can of black beans, optional

In a large pot, heat broth, water, tomatoes, salsa and barley to boiling.  Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.  When the barley is almost tender, add chicken, frozen corn and beans {if desired}.  Cook for 10 minutes more, until barley is completely tender.  Serve warm.  {I ate one bowl garnished with sour cream and it tasted yummy like that}.

Day 26: Beef and Barley Stew

A few years ago my husband was on a health kick and we started changing some of our eating habits. After a trip to the public library, he came home with a book, Eating for Life.  Not only was it a guide in how to take care of yourself with the foods you eat, but it also included some great recipes.  One such recipe was Beef and Barley Stew--now one of our favorite fall/winter soups.

I had never eaten barley before and was a little hesitant that it would taste too healthy, you know what I mean?  Well, barley is actually really good and has a nice texture when cooked in a stew like this.  I usually throw in frozen corn instead of the green beans, mostly for added color, and I'm really picky about frozen green beans :).  Most of the time I omit the carrot because my husband is not a fan, but other than that I stick to the original recipe and it's great!  Another bonus about this stew is that it freezes really well.  If you're feeling overly ambitious, go ahead and make a double batch and freeze the second one for later.  As is, it will feed about 6 people.  Enjoy!

Beef &Barley Stew
Printable Version

 1 T oil

1 1/2 lbs stew meat

4 C beef broth

1 C water

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery

1 carrot

1 t. oregano

1/4 t pepper

2 cloves garlic

1/2 C barley

1 bay leaf

10 oz. green beans

1 can diced tomatoes

10 oz peas

Cook meat in oil until browned.  Stir in next 10 ingredients.  Bring to boil, reduce to low, cover for 45 min.  Stir in remaining ingredients  Cook about 15 more minutes.  Remove bay leaf.

source: Eating For Life