Chicken, Barley and Mushroom Soup

I've been feeling a little under the weather lately so all I think about is soup. I'm very picky with my soup. I don't like the stuff in the diners were they thicken their soup with corn starch, I don't like soups that are too salty or those that leave my mouth oily. Like I said -- I'm very very picky with soup. Being picky about soup gives me only one option -- fight through the sniffles and the fever and make it myself!

I don't use leeks often in my cooking but I really enjoyed the flavor of the leeks in my soup. It's a nice change from using the typical celery and onion in chicken soup. To prep the leek, first chop off the dark green portion (I usually save that piece to make stock), then, leaving about half an inch from the root of the vegetable, slice the leek right down the middle. Finally, cut the bottom half an inch of the leek off and cut the vegetable about a quarter inch in width. 

At some point in the soup making process, I was in a stage of regret. My cold was not getting better. I was feeling weak and tired and all this cutting... and dicing... and stirring... and simmering... did not help. Why did I not just open a can of soup, pour it in a bowl, and pop it in the microwave?! But when my senses opened up, I understood why. Even with a stuffy nose, I can still smell the aroma of everything that goes into this cold-combating-pot-of-wonder! I cannot take full credit for this recipe. I got this recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook. They used turkey thighs but I opted for the more economical and less fatty chicken breast. 

Chicken, Barley and Mushroom Soup
Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook
Tweaked by me


Ingredients:

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 leeks (pale green and white parts only), coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pearl barely
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken breast, with bone, about 1.5-2 lb
8 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups of boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain the soaked mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh or coffee filter to remove any grit. Using a kitchen towel, squeeze the mushrooms dry and dice. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, 7 minutes. Stir in the button and shiitake mushrooms, carrots, barley, and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute longer. Add the chicken and the stock, do not bring to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Remove the chicken from the pot. Discard the skin and shred the meat from the bones. Add the reserved mushrooms and soaking liquid to the soup. Stir in the soy sauce and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish with parsley when serving.