Chicken Mushroom Barley Soup

This is a recipe you can enjoy today or that you can use with your Thanksgiving leftover turkey and broth instead of chicken.  If you don’t like barley, substitute rice or instant brown rice.  The mushrooms and sherry give this homey soup a little flair.  I also use home canned chicken or turkey and broth in this recipe.  We liked it with a nice fresh salad and cornmeal batter rolls.

Chicken Mushroom Barley Soup

  1        Quart  Chicken Broth

  2        Cups  Cooked Chicken, diced

     ½    Cup  Quick Barley

     ½    Cup  Carrots -- thinly sliced

  2        Stalks  Celery -- thinly sliced

     ½    Cup  Onion -- chopped

  4-5    Large  Fresh Mushrooms -- sliced

            Olive Oil

  2        Tablespoons  Sherry

In a small amount of olive oil, saute mushrooms in 2-3 quart saucepan.  When they are browned, deglaze pan with 2 tablespoons of sherry.  Cook a minute or two until liquid is cooked away.  Set mushroom mixture aside.

In same saucepan, in some additional olive oil, saute the onion, celery and carrots.  Add the broth and barley, bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook, covered, 20 minutes.

Add chicken and return mushrooms to the pot.  Bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, an additional 5 minutes or until heated through.

4 Servings

Per Serving: 193 Calories; 5g Fat (23.6% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 60mg Cholesterol; 843mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable.