Chicken and Barley Soup

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces or ground turkey works great too
• 3/4 cup onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 9 cups chicken broth (homemade is best - yes it's easy too!)
• 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed or tear up a bunch of fresh spinach leaves (they will wilt down so make sure you add enough to your liking)
• 1- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
• 1- 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 cup quick cook barley
• olive oil
• salt and pepper, if desired

Istructions:

In a large soup pot, saute the chicken or ground turkey, onion and garlic, in some olive oil, over medium high heat until chicken/turkey is cooked through.

Pour in the chicken broth, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, beans and basil. Bring to a boil and add barley. 

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes or until barley is cooked through.

You could always put it in a slow cooker too, and let it cook for hours on low but I wouldn't add the spinach until everything is done to maintain it's color.  After the meat is browned, throw everything else in the crock pot, put the lid on a go watch a football game.

Source:  Hot Eats and Cool Reads