Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion (,chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (,minced)
• 3 large carrots (,diced)
• 2 large celery stalks (,diced)
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 1/2 pound bone-in chicken pieces ((can also use chicken breast but bone-in pieces provide a vastly superior flavor))
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage (or 1/2 teaspoon dried chopped sage, 1/4 teaspoon if ground)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the butter in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in the barley and cook for another minute.

2. 2

   Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

3. 3

   Remove the chicken, remove the meat from the bones and dice it, discard the skin and bones, and return the meat to the soup. Add the parsley. Simmer for another minute until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.