Chicken Barley Soup

From Everyday Food magazine - October 2011

As seen here

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 carrots, diced small
• 4 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 1 cup quick-cooking barley
• 5 ounces baby spinach (5 cups)

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes.
   
2. Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
   
3. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
   
   
   I couldn't find quick cooking barley at Save On Foods or Safeway.  If anyone finds it - let me know where you spotted it.  I ended up using regular barley and cooking it separately and then adding it to the carrots, celery, onion & cooked chicken mixture.
   
   Both Mr. Picky and Miss Almost Vegetarian ate their soup but slowly and without joy.  :)   Mr Picky was creeped out by the celery and Miss Almost Vegetarian was whining about the spinach.
   
   I, on the other hand thought the soup was pretty good.  I think Husband-of-Cheerios liked it too but I don't really remember for sure.  He isn't a soup fan in general.  I probably wouldn't make this soup again as it wasn't awesome - just good but maybe with some tweaking of flavor it would be a little more exciting.