Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup

It's no secret I'm a soup-a-holic. There is nothing quite as wonderful as a bowl of piping hot soup on a cold winter's day. Believe it or not, you can whip up a batch really fast, too. As long as you are stocked with the right ingredients. But they are easy to grab from the grocery store on the way home, as well.

There is no easier way for me to get my family (including my husband) to eat their veggies than to make soup. You can put so much in there. And preparing it with just the right amount of "crunch" makes all the difference.

Here is an easy one. I start with half of a leftover rotisserie chicken, skin removed. Of course, you can pre-cook your own chicken as well. This is just way faster.

Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup
1/2 Rotisserie chicken on the bone, skin removed.
1-2 32 oz containers of Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Stock, depending on how much soup you want to make.
2 cups water
1 cup each, chopped celery, onions, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, any variety. I used white mushrooms this time.
1 Tbls. Grape Seed Oil
Spices. I used Dorot Frozen Cubes.
1/2 cup dry Pearled Barley, prepared as directed.
Additional greens, optional.
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes.

Place the chicken, carcass and all, into a large stock pot. Pour in 1-2 containers of Trader Joe's Low Sodium Chicken Broth. If you can't get Trader Joe's brand, you can substitute Pacific Natural Foods brand.

Stay away from Swanson or Progresso brands. Their "low sodium" claims are sketchy, at best. You are better off making your own homemade chicken stock. Now, add 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.

Prepare some Barley. There is nothing like Barley in a pot of soup. Most work the same, but it is OK if you cook it in an abundance of water because you can just add the entire thing into the soup. The extra barley liquid will also help to thicken up the soup a little. I used 3 cups of water to 1/2 cup barley. This will take about an hour, so you want to get it started ahead of time.

Cut up some veggies. If you are a mushroom fan, use them! Mushrooms make Barley soup that much better. Trust me. I also used yellow onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini. They hold up well in the soup. Last minute, I'll add chopped spinach or kale for an extra punch!

Dice them the way you like! Fine, chopped, however. I do somewhere in between. And I do LOTS. At least 1 cup of each. The key to getting the right texture is to saute your veggies first in a saute pan in about 1 Tbls. Grape Seed oil. I also added 2 cube of garlic, 2 cubes of Basil, and 2 cubes of parsley, thanks to these little beauties.

I get mine at Costco or Trader Joe's. Look for them. They will change your life.

I saute the veggies just until they are tender or 8-10 minutes. Take off the heat.

Now, take the chicken out of the stock. You may have to strain it, if the bones have come apart. Just remember to strain it into another container...not your sink... 

Replace the stock onto the stove. Add the veggies and the barley. Set heat to low.

Allow chicken to cool and pull the meat off the bones.Shred it with your fingers or a fork. Add to pot.

Simmer about 15-20 minutes. 

Now, here is the kicker. Add a can of no-salt diced tomatoes. Again, I used Trader Joe's brand, but there are many other varieties out there that are similar. 

Heat for 10 minutes. And then add any additional greens.

My family LOVES THIS STUFF. Leftovers are even better. 

Serve with some whole wheat bread or rolls, and a side salad.

Run happy, and eat happy!

Adventures in Eating

Shrimp Chowder-Family Style

In my never ending quest to improve my own health and fitness, I strive to improve that of my family's as well. This means, quite literally, adventures in eating. I'm blessed in that my daughters will try anything I put in front of them. My husband, well, he has no choice because he can't cook. I shouldn't say can't cook, rather won't cook.

This all has made me a slave to the internet, constantly researching, testing, adjusting, and then recording recipes that the family might enjoy. At the same time, I try to keep them low carb, and containing little or no dairy. And this can be challenging, to say the least. For the most part, I mainly eat salad at dinner with a side of veggies, and perhaps a small serving of whatever I have prepared for the family. This works for me, as I'd rather consume the majority of my carbs and protein earlier in the day.

I stumbled across this recipe while searching non-dairy chowders. My family, well, they are soup nazi's. I don't think there is a soup I make that they won't eat. Everyone loves soup, and when temperatures in Minnesota hover around that 0° for weeks on end, soup is the way to warm everyone's mood. This one looked too good to be true. But true to form, I started changing it up immediately as I went along. The link to the original recipe is here. Of course, I doubled mine, because this family can eat. So my recipe will serve more than 4.

Shrimp Chowder-Family Style

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 large zucchini, cut into large chunks (Don't peel them. It will add fiber and nutrients and make the soup a lovely green hue)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. grape seed oil or oil of your choice, divided
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup chopped zucchini (additional)
• 3/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 24 oz. raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Salt and pepper, to taste

 Directions:

1. Steam first two ingredients in a veggie steamer or the microwave until tender. To steam in the microwave, place 1 cup of water in a large Pyrex pan, add cauliflower and zucchini, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove pan, stir, and add more water if necessary. Return to microwave for 5 minutes more. Continue this if necessary until veggies pierce easily with a fork.
2. In the meantime, in a saute pan, saute the celery, onions, additional zucchini, and carrots in grape seed oil, or oil of your choice. Cook until veggies are tender, or about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Carefully pour half the broth, coconut milk and steamed cauliflower/zucchini mix into a blender. Once pureed, pour into a stock pot, then blend the second batch. You may need to do this a few times depending on the size of your blender. Into the pureed mixture in the stock pot, add the Old Bay, Dijon  lemon juice, and butter. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth or coconut milk. Once ingredients are incorporated, add the sauteed veggies. Lower heat to simmer.
4. Chop the shrimp into small chunks. Saute the shrimp in the remaining oil and in the same pan you sauteed your veggies, until seared on the outside. Add to pureed soup. Add a Tbls. or two of chicken broth to the pan and de-glaze, scraping up any brown bits, and add to pot. Simmer for 5 minutes or so until shrimp is cooked through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. For a real treat, sprinkle with some fresh Parmesan cheese, or drown it in Chipotle Tabasco Sauce, like my husband does...

I added the extra chopped veggies because my family likes soup with sustanence. The liquid base with just the shrimp in the original recipe would not have been filling enough for my crew. No one even guessed, nor did I reveal that the main base of the soup was cauliflower. BONUS! If you try my version, let me know what you think! I thought it rocked.

We served it with a side salad, and some Whole Wheat Rhodes Baked Rolls. Delish!