I watched an episode of Rachael Ray's Week in a Day last weekend and she made this stew that was sort of like a cross between Mexican tortilla soup and a beef and barley soup. I was intrigued, and started thinking about how I could make something similar, but maybe something a little heartier. Well, later that day I grabbed the barley from my pantry and guess what I noticed on the box? A recipe for chili featuring barley.
Bingo!
What I ended up doing was using a scaled down version of my basic chili recipe (here) and bumped up the amount of liquid in the pot so the barley could cook right in the chili mix, soaking up all that flavor.
Barley Chili
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1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. cumin powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika (sweet or smoked)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies *the recipe on the box of barley called for a jar of your favorite salsa instead of canned tomaotes
1 (14.5 ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup pearled barley
4 cups liquid of choice (chicken stock, beef stock, veggie stock, or water) *you can use more if you'd prefer a soupier consistency
1 cup of corn (I pulled some straight from the freezer)
1 cup of previously cooked chicken breast, diced (I had this leftover in the fridge and thought what the hell, in it goes!)
Directions:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, saute the onion and all spices in the olive oil over medium heat until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Toss in the rest of the ingredients (except for the corn), bump up the heat to high to bring to a boil before reducing the heat once more. Simmer, partially covered, on medium-low for 35-45 minutes, until the barley has absorbed most of the liquid. Add in the corn (and chicken, if using) and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Top with sour cream, shredded cheddar, or eat it straight up... whatever floats your boat.
Enjoy!
