Chicken Barley Soup

I often freeze chicken or turkey broth in 1 cup portions for rice and other recipes and 4 cup portions for soups like this. If I have time, I cook the broth for several hours until it's thickened and then I can "reconstitute" it when I thaw it and cook with it, sort of my own condensed broth.

As with many soups, this is flexible. I added the parsnip because I had one leftover from making roasted vegetables for a dinner party last night. Feel free to use less of something if you're shy of it or something different if you have something to use up, like my parsnip. You could also substitute a bunch of leftover mixed vegetables you've saved up and frozen or a cup or two of frozen mixed vegetables that you've bought.

6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup barley
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 celery stalk, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a simmer and add the barley (after rinsing). Simmer slowly for 20 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer another 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust, of course.