Lunch: Chicken, Mushroom and Barley Soup

With our tips for bulk cooking barley in advance, this soup can be a quick and easy weeknight meal. If you?re tight on time, pick up a pre-chopped blend of onion, carrots and celery.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Barley

Health benefits of Chicken, Mushroom and Barley Soup

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 lb sliced mushrooms
32 oz low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup cooked barley (see Note)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

Instructions

Add oil to a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes.
Add broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and thyme stem. Add the barley and chicken and heat through for 2-3 minutes. 
Note: To bulk cook barley, add 11 oz dry pearled (quick-cooking) barley to a pot of 4 cups boiling water. Cover, then reduce to a simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered off the heat for 5 minutes. Makes 6 cups cooked barley. This barley can be used in any recipe calling for cooked barley. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days or package in freezer bags in one cup increments for up to 6 months.
Chef Tip: This is a great recipe to use leftover chicken or the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. 
Recipe Cost: $9.59
Choices: 1/2 Starch, 1 Nonstarchy Vegetable, 2 Lean Protein