Spring Chicken with Barley Soup

By angielaine

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, divided
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup pearl barley
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced asparagus
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup lightly packed torn fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp orange zest

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a large sauce-pan over medium-high heat; add chicken breasts and sear on both sides. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 2 to 4 minutes. Grate or finely chop 1 garlic clove; add to the pan and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and barley. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon. Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-sized pieces and return to broth. When the barley is done, add the tomatoes and juice, asparagus, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the remaining garlic clove. Gather basil, orange zest and the garlic and finely chop together. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a pinch of the basil mixture.