Slow cooker chicken-barley soup

  • I made this for dinner yesterday, and I loved it! I am a big barley fan. This was very filling for both DH and I, and there was a TON left over to freeze for lunches later in the week. Of course, to make this SBD friendly, use a trans-fat free margarine or butter and use low-sodium chicken broth. The nutritional values at the end are taken directly from the book. I added some sliced baby bella mushrooms to the mix as well.

    From The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook :

    Chicken-barley soup

    Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8 hours Serves: 6

    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    4 celery stalks, finely chopped
    3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    2 pounds cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
    1/2 cup barley, picked over and rinsed
    2 tablespoons butter
    3 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
    1 cup water
    2 cubes chicken bouillon
    1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
    1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (about 2 shakes)

    1. Place the vegetables, garlic, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker crock. Top with chicken pieces, barley, butter, broth, water, and bouillon. Do NOT stir.
    2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
    3. Before serving, stir in parsley and Tabasco sauce.

    Approximate nutritional content:
    Calories: 405, Protein: 51g, Net Carbs: 14g, Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 143mg, Sodium: 1,486mg