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Chicken Barley Chili

I love this recipe because it is simple and because it tastes so good.  You won’t even know it’s healthy for you and is such a great way to get both protein and complex carbs into your diet!  Your family will love this and will be asking for seconds.  Really – it’s that good.

Other than the leftover chicken, this is an “at-the-ready” pantry meal.  And to give credit where credit is due, I adapted this from the Quaker Barley box.

Recipe:

In a 6 quart saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients.  Over high heat bring the ingredients to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40 min stirring occasionally and allow the barley to cook.   Add the beans, chilies, and chicken.  Increase heat to high until chili comes to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for another 5 minutes or until barley is tender.  The chili will become thicker as it stands.  If it gets too thick, add more chicken broth or water until chili is the consistency you prefer.

Garnish as you desire.  Here are some suggestions that really put this over the top:

Fresh diced tomatoes, diced green onions, a squeeze of lime juice, cilantro, or Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream).

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz can) Tomatoes, diced, undrained (you can use seasoned tomatoes of your choice)
• 1 (8 oz jar)  Salsa
• 1 (8 oz can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 (15 oz can) Low Salt, Low Fat Chicken broth or 2 cups of homemade broth
• 1 cup Medium Pearled Barley (I used Quaker)
• 4 cups Water
• 1 Tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 (15 oz can) Black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups Leftover cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 (4 oz can) mild green chilies (you can skip this if you want)