- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 8 ounces mixed varieties of mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 2 tablespoons dry red wine
- 1 cup pearled barley
- 1 bay leaf
- 7 cups fat-free chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- Freshly ground black pepper
- In a large soup pot, heat the 2 teaspoons oil. Stir in the chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until partially cooked and browned on the outside. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and just beginning to brown.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and tarragon. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and increase the heat to high. Add the wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the barley and bay leaf. Stir to coat the grains. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes, or until the soup has thickened and the barley is soft. Add the chicken.
- In a cup, stir spoonfuls of the soup into the half-and-half, one at a time, until warm. Slowly pour into the pot, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the sherry and season to taste with the pepper.