Chicken And Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive or canola oil
• 3 chicken breasts on the bone, skin and fat removed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
• 4 baby marrows, chopped
• 8 cups strong rooibos tea
• 1 cup water
• 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup uncooked barley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• lemon juice and black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. heat the oil in a large pot and fry chicken until brown. spoon out. in the same pot, fry onions, carrots, celery and baby marrows until brown.
2. add chicken, tea, water, rosemary, bay leaves, barley and salt. reduce the heat. simmer with a lid for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
3. spoon out the chicken. cook the soup for about 40-45 minutes or until the barely is soft.
4. meanwhile, debone chicken and shred the meat. add back to the soup once the barley is cooked. season well with lemon juice and pepper. stir in the parsley and serve hot.