Soup isn’t just for the ill, it is great for those rainy days, weight loss, and for making a few ingredients go a long way and feed a lot of people.

First I started with a rice pot full of water. You can use half water and half stock or all stock. Today I boiled water and added a chicken cube, a diced onion, a few garlic cloves, and about 1/4th of a habanero pepper. Boil this for about 10 minutes while you prepare.

Then I add quick cooking barley, and boil for another 10-15 min.

Meanwhile, dice a sweet potato and a white potato, whatever you want to add. I put the sweet ones in first, since they usually take a little longer to cook. Then add the white potatoes.

You can use 1-2 chicken breasts, either raw, by adding it whole so it poaches, then remove it, and dice. Or you can get a ready made rotisserie chicken and dice one of the breasts or whatever meat you want, and add.

Fresh thyme is great, I do keep some frozen, but the one in the spice jar will do as welll, add about 1 tsp, you can also add parsley.

I cut the rest of the rotisserie chicken and put the entire thing in so it could boil a bit and loosen the remaining chicken.

Add salt and black pepper to taste, once the potatoes are cooked thru, turn off the stove.

Here I used:

1 chicken breast already cooked, diced

1 sweet potato, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1/2 cup quick cooking barley

1 tsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried

1 chicken cube, or a box of chicken stock 

1/4 habanero pepper, to heat tolerance

Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional additions: egg noodles, celery, carrots, leeks