A hearty, healthy and flavorful soup made with pickle juice rather than grated pickles. pickle juice adds a subtle pickle flavor, whereas I find that adding actual sliced or shredded pickles is less gentle on the palate.
Prepare the ingredients:Peel, rinse, and chop the onion. Peel, rinse and grate the carrot. Peel, rinse and dice the potatoes into about 1/2 inch cubes. Using a colander rinse the pearl barley until the water runs clear.
Parboil the meat:Place the chicken into a large pot, or a Dutch oven, and cover it with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water has boiled and the foam/impurities have risen to the top, drain the water, rinse the meat, transfer the chicken onto a cutting board and set aside to cool down.
Sauté onion and carrot:Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil the soup pot, or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir well and sauté until the onion is translucent and the carrot has softened (about 2-3 minutes).
Add diced chicken:The chicken should be cool enough to be diced now. Dice the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the pot.
Add the remaining ingredients:Add the cubed potatoes, pearl barley, 10-12 cups of water, pickle juice, and the Mrs. Dash or Vegeta seasoning. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Continue to simmer until the potatoes and barley have softened. Add more salt and/or pickle juice to taste. Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream optional).
Notes
Barley triples in volume and absorbs a lot of the liquid as it cooks. So make sure to use a large pot! This recipe makes a hearty, thick, stew-like, soup. If you prefer a thinner soup, you may like to use a little less barley. Alternatively, you can cook the barley separately, rinse it under cool water once it cooks, and then add it to your soup so it can absorb all the flavors in the soup.The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days. But, because barley expands when cooked, transfer only the amount of soup you need into a small pot and warm it on a stove-top over medium-high heat. Keep the remaining soup in the refrigerator for the next day.