Chicken Mushroom Barley Soup

Chicken Mushroom Barley Soup

TT olive oil
4 oz chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup carrot, diced
¼ cup onion, diced  

¼ cup celery, diced
6 cups chix stock
TT thyme
1/3 cup pearl barley, rinsed

Cooked & shocked
1 cup chopped tomato
1 ts butter
¼ cup medium-sized button mushrooms, brushed, trimmed, and quartered
TT parsley

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until well browned; this will take about 15 minutes. Set the meat aside and wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Lower the heat to medium, add the oil to the pan. Add the carrot, onion, and celery to the pan and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Return the meat to the pan with the water. Bring to a boil; adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat are just tender. Add the thyme, barley, and tomato; continue to simmer the soup, covered, for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat; add the mushrooms and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, and add them to the soup, and simmer for 15 minutes more. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup with a ladle or large spoon. Return the meat to the soup with the parsley. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.