My friend Leila hosted playgroup today. She had the best soups. I asked for recipes so I could pass them on to you.

Chicken and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb / 455 g), cubed
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch / 1/2 cm coins
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped into 1/4-inch / 1/2 cm pieces
• 1 large tomato, chopped into 1/4-inch / 1/2 cm pieces
• 1 tsp / 5 ml dried thyme
• 1 tsp / 5 ml dried celery seed
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml pearled barley
• 2 qt./2L of low-sodium organic chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml sea salt
• 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Place barley in bowl with just enough water to cover it.
Heat olive oil on medium heat in an 8-quart stockpot.
Add the chopped onion and garlic to the olive oil, cooking for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken to stockpot, along with the salt and black pepper. Brown for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, vegetables, and spices to the pot.
Drain the water from the barley. Add the barley to the soup.
Let the soup boil for 30 minutes on medium heat.

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

• 2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced length-wise
• 1/3 cup / 80 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml of rice bran oil*
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml of canned pumpkin puree
• 2-3 cups / 480 – 700 ml of low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml of fresh lime juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Ground nutmeg

*If you can’t find rice bran oil, olive oil will do

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a large roasting pan by pouring the olive oil into it, letting it coat the bottom. Cut the sweet potato in half and place in the roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the garlic bulb off and drizzle with rice bran oil. Place in the roasting pan with the other vegetables. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove and let stand.
Remove sweet potato from the pan and place in a large stock pot. Add the roasted onion and squeeze the roasted garlic flesh in as well. Add the canned pumpkin, 2 cups of chicken stock and lime juice and bring to a boil. Add more chicken stock to make the soup less thick. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until it is evenly smooth. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg.