Baked Chicken Barley Kale Stew

Preheat oven to 200ºC (390ºF).

Place the olive oil in a large casserole dish. Rub the chicken thighs in the olive oil and season with ground black pepper and dried mixed herbs. Cover and bake for about 16 minutes, turning halfway through. Check that the chicken is cooked through.

Take the chicken out of the casserole dish and set aside to cool. Once it has cooled, shred the chicken with two forks.

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Place onions and garlic in the casserole dish with the excess olive oil and return to the oven for about 6 minutes until onion is soft.

Add carrots, celery, potatoes, rosemary, turmeric, paprika, barley, chicken broth, and boiling water. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Add shredded chicken and bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes until barley and potatoes are tender.

Scatter over the kale and serve.

Note: If you notice the stew getting too dry during cooking, add another 1/2 to 1 cup water as needed.