Chicken (or Turkey) Soup with Fennel & Barley

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced or diced

• 3 stalks celery, diced

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon thyme and rosemary

• 2 bay leaves, optional

• 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, breasts or already cooked chicken/turkey 

• 64 oz (8 cups) chicken or turkey broth (see recipe on reverse) — can sub for veggie broth

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup cooked barley or brown rice **see note

• Optional lemon juice or zest for serving

Directions:

1. In a small pot, bring water to a boil and add one cup of barley. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat and add 2 tbsp. olive oil.

3. If using raw chicken, add the chicken to the pot at this time and brown it on all sides (don’t worry about cooking it through yet). Once golden, remove from the pot. If using cooked chicken, skip to step 3.

4. Into the pot, add the remaining oil, onion slices, fennel, celery and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, until fragrant and softened.

5. Add the garlic, herbs and seasonings. Stir and cook for another minute.

6. Add back the chicken (or already cooked chicken/turkey) into the pot with its juices. Add the broth and the barley. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

7. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and barley is tender. 

8. If using whole chicken breasts or thighs, remove them from the pot at this time and shred with forks before returning them back to the soup pot. 

9. When everything is cooked, taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, and serve warm!

**Barley tends to hold up better if you’re making a big batch and not serving it all right away. Rice tends to get mushy and thicken the soup over time.