Slow Cooker Chicken-Barley Stew I liked the taste and heartiness of this stew very much, however I have two problems with it. Number one: there were a lot of small chicken bones in the stew because the recipe called for bone-in breasts. I'm glad I did not serve this to guests! Next time I make it, I'll use boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Number two: the carrots and celery were hard and I cooked it for 9 hours. I like my vegetables soft in a soup or stew. I'll dice them next time instead of slicing them. I added a tsp of Mrs.Dash instead of the thyme.