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Speedy Cock-a-Leekie

9
6
3
SmartPoints® value per serving
Total Time
30 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
We add prunes to this “chicken and leeks” brew for a touch of sweetness.

Ingredients

Canola oil

1 tsp

Uncooked leek(s)

1¼ pound(s), thinly sliced

Uncooked pearl barley

⅔ cup(s), quick-cooking

Uncooked parsnip(s)

2 medium, finely chopped

Black pepper

½ tsp, freshly ground

Uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s)

¾ pound(s), cut into 1-inch pieces

Fresh mushroom(s)

½ pound(s), white, sliced

Prune(s)

6 piece(s), pitted prunes, chopped

Dried thyme

1 tsp

Sherry (dry or sweet)

2 Tbsp, or port

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7–8 minutes. Add the broth, barley, parsnips, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the chicken, mushrooms, prunes, and thyme; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the port or sherry.

Notes

But the sweetest thing of all is that this soup can be on the table in 20 minutes. Compliment each bowlful with a slice of oat-bran bread, toasted and cut into triangles (and increase the per-serving POINTS value by 2).Here’s how to clean often-sandy leeks: Trim away most of the dark-green tops and the roots, leaving the root end intact to hold the layers together. Slice the leek lengthwise to a half inch from the root end. Hold by the root end, fan open the layers, and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.