Chicken Vegetable Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers or 1/2 cup green bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil (or 2 t. dried crushed)
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley (or 1 t. dried crushed)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 lb potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley

Recipe

• 1 in a medium bowl, toss chicken breast pieces with poultry seasoning; set aside.
• 2 in a 5 to 6-quart dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
• 3 add mushrooms, carrots, onion, bell pepper, garlic, dried herbs (if using), black pepper and salt.
• 4 cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 5 remove vegetables from dutch oven; set aside.
• 6 add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the dutch oven; heat over medium heat.
• 7 add chicken pieces; cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
• 8 return vegetables to dutch oven.
• 9 stir in the water and bouillon granules.
• 10 bring to boiling; stir in potatoes and barley.
• 11 return to boiling; reduce heat.
• 12 cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• 13 stir in fresh basil and parsley, if using; taste and adjust seasoning.