Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

Ingredients

Contains: milk, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 5 cups diced red potatoes
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 cup quick-cooking barley
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Toast the slivered almonds in a dry large pot over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.

2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softening.

3. Add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid and soften.

4. Add the diced red potatoes, chicken broth and quick-cooking barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the barley and potatoes are tender.

5. Stir in the chopped cooked chicken and heat through for about 5 minutes, until steaming hot and reaching 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.

6. Stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each serving with the toasted almonds.