Spring Chicken And Barley Broth With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

• 1 small spring chicken
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 celery stalks, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1.5 liters good chicken stock
• 150 grams barley, rinsed
• 150 grams green split peas, rinsed
• 1 bag fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• sea salt crystals and freshly ground black pepper

1. Roast the chicken in a medium oven until cooked through, allow to cool slightly then remove the skin and chop the flesh into bite-sized pieces.
2. Roast the cherry tomatoes in a medium oven for around 15 minutes or until they start to caramelise around the edges then remove from the oven and let them cool.
3. Warm the oil in a soup pot, add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, 1 teaspoon sea salt crystals and a few good grindings of black pepper and saute gently over a low heat until just tender - about 10 minutes.
4. Add the stock and thyme, stir in the barley and split peas, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for 25-30 minutes or until the barley and split peas are tender but still have a slight bite.
5. Check the seasoning then add the chicken flesh, the roasted tomatoes and the spinach. Stir everything very gently making sure the tomatoes dont break up too much then simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
6. Check the seasoning again and serve.

chicken, tomatoes, light olive oil, onion, celery stalks, carrots, garlic, liters good chicken stock, barley, green split peas, fresh spinach leaves, salt

Taken from food52.com/recipes/55682-spring-chicken-and-barley-broth-with-roasted-cherry-tomatoes (may not work)