Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 celery, diced
• 8 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 0.75 cup pearl barley
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 bunch fresh thyme

Steps

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and set aside. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into uniform 0.5-inch pieces.
2. Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the melted butter and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
5. Once boiling, add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, dried thyme, black pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes.
6. Add the pearl barley to the pot and stir well to combine. Continue simmering for 25 minutes, until the barley is tender and the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature should reach 165°F on a meat thermometer).
7. Remove the pot from heat and carefully transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks or your hands.
8. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir gently to combine.
9. Add the frozen peas and stir. Let the soup sit off heat for 2 minutes to allow the peas to thaw and warm through.
10. Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
11. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve hot.