Spring Chicken & Barley Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 minced garlic cloves
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large chicken breast, skin removed, trimmed (8-10 ounces)
1/3 cup pearl barley
1/3 cup shredded fresh spinach
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced asparagus (1/4 inch thick)
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaf
1 strip orange zest (1/2 by 2 inches)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add broth, chicken and barley. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-size pieces; discard the bone.
When the barley is done, add the chicken, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes with juice, asparagus, peas, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer.
Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.
Gather basil and orange zest and finely chop together.
Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a generous pinch of the basil mixture.