Quick Chicken and Barley Stew

By ezunich

Ingredients

• 3 bacon slices
• 1 tbs oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion, 1 medium onion
• 1 cup 1/4 inch thick diagonally cut carrots - about 2 medium
• 1 cup 1/4 inch thick diagonally cut celery - about 3 stalks
• 1 tbs garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked quick cooking barley
• 1 (8 oz) pkg baby spinach
• 2 tbs chopped parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium until crisp, about 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add olive oil to drippings in Dutch oven; increase heat to medium high. Add yellow onion, carrots and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic, kosher salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add chicken and broth to Dutch oven. Cook on medium high until broth begins to boil, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in barley and cook until chicken is cooked through and a thermometer reads 165° about 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken, shred into large pieces ad return to Dutch oven. Add spinach and stir until wild, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley. Top each serving with crumbled bacon.