Chicken Chili With Barley

So it’s going to be 102° here in Texas today – not quite the brisk fall weather I think of when the first of September hits, but the weather lady promised a weekend in the 80′s so we’re getting there.  Something about the temperatures falling and the fall decorations popping up in stores makes me crave soup.  I have a few favorite recipes, but there is one in particular that Maria made a couple years ago that I have always wanted to try – Chicken Chili with Barley.  Doesn’t it look so good?  It looks super quick and easy to make too.  Catch me after the jump for the full recipe!

Chicken Chili With Barley

Maria talks about all the benefits of barley in the original post, making a great case as to why it should be a regular ingredient in our diets.  I don’t even know that I’ve ever cooked with it!  Crazy.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 cups barley, cooked
2 cups pinto beans or 1 15 oz can
1 can Rotel tomatoes, I like mild, and I drain it so it won’t be to hot for the kids.
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chicken stock or broth, or 2 cups water and 2 chicken bullion cubes
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup Italian dressing or 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning packet mix (just gives it a little zip!)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
shredded cheese and sour cream for serving

Directions:

In a large pot, saute chopped onion in a little oil. Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir in cumin, chili powder, sugar and Italian dressing . Add chicken, beans, and barley. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Just prior to serving add cilantro, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Now add a salad to that and a hunk of  good crusty bread (or even tortilla strips) and you have a meal perfect for beckoning in the cooler temps of Fall. Even if those cooler temps happen to be the high 80′s – I will take what I can get :).

Here are a few more of my favorite soup recipes:

• White Chicken Chili
• Potato Cheese Soup
• Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden copy cat)

What about you?  Anything about the upcoming season that you are anxiously awaiting?  Fall clothes? Days without shaving?  Let’s hear it.

Hope everyone in the US had a great long holiday! Thanks for reading and we’ll see you back here a little later today,

Destri

Tagged as: soup