Heat the oil and cook the onion over a medium heat until starting to soften.
Add the carrots, barley and chicken stock.
Season with salt and pepper
Bring the broth to a boil, then simmer for about 45mins to 1 hour until the pearl barley is soft
Add the thyme and parsley (I didn't have any but it does add a lovely freshness to the soup) and check the seasoning.
If you have any pieces of chicken which you can add to the broth, it can easily be your main meal with some crusty bread.
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