Quick Chicken and Barley Stew Recipe

Southern Living Staff
Updated

Yields: Serves 4

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 bacon slices

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)

  • 1 cup 1/4-inch-thick diagonally cut carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

  • 1 cup 1/4-inch-thick diagonally cut celery (about 3 stalks)

  • 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced (about 3 garlic cloves)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 4 (6-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley

  • 1 (8-oz.) package baby spinach

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Nutrition

calories 469

protein 51g

carbohydrate 41g

fiber 7g

fat 12g

Directions

  1. Cook bacon in a 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.

  2. 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 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, kosher salt, and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Add chicken and broth to Dutch oven. Cook on medium-high until broth begins to boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in barley, and cook until chicken is cooked through and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion reads 165°F, about 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove chicken, shred into large pieces, and return to Dutch oven. Add spinach, and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley; top each serving with crumbled bacon.