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Home » Chicken Barley Soup

Chicken Barley Soup

November 12, 2015

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Incredibly flavorful and packed with nutrients, this wonderful Chicken Barley Soup recipe is sure to become a family favorite!  Make double batch while you’re at it because it’s great for leftovers or freezing!

best chicken barley soup recipe

The weather here is crazy today!  A total downpour of rain, gusts of wind, and waves crashing up on the shore.  This Chicken Barley Soup is exactly what this kind of weather calls for!

Soups are one of the reasons I find myself looking forward to weather like this because it means snuggling up to a bowl of hot comfort.  Here is my recipe for a classic chicken barley soup that is rich in flavor, packed with nutrients, and satisfying to both tummy and soul.

Barley is such a fabulous tasting grain and I wonder why we don’t use it more often.  Though it was one of the first ever domesticated grains, is the 4th highest produced grain in the world and is a staple in some cuisines around the world, it isn’t much for cooking in the U.S..  It’s still widely used in the production of cereals, animal food and beer, but it’s not often that you see dishes featuring barley.  Perhaps that stems from barley having been designated as peasant food during medieval Europe while wheat was regarded as the grain of the upper class.  But for flavor and nutrition I would take barley over wheat any day.

What are some ways you use barley in cooking or baking?  Share your ideas in a comment below!

Barley adds a delicious flavor and texture to this soup in the same way it does to this Beef Barley Soup.  It’s simple to make and the leftovers taste even better the next day.  Sautéing the vegetables before simmering the soup brings out their sweetness and flavor so don’t skip that step.

We’re confident you’re going to love this Chicken Barley Soup!

chicken barley soup recipe

Let’s get started!

Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a pot.  Cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes.  This will bring out more of their flavor.

cooking veggies in a pot

Add the barley and cook for another minute.

cooking veggies and barley

Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley.  Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for one hour.

adding broth and herbs to soup

Remove the chicken, remove the meat from the bones and dice it, discard the skin and bones, and return the meat to the soup. Add the parsley.

chicken barley soup recipe

Simmer for another minute until heated through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

chicken barley soup recipe

Serve immediately or let it cool completely and store in the fridge.  This makes great leftovers!

Enjoy!

chicken barley soup recipe best healthy easy

 

Be sure to also try our delicious Beef Barley Soup!

beef barley soup recipe best homemade from scratch healthy

 

chicken barley soup recipe best healthy easy

Chicken Barley Soup

Kimberly Killebrew
Incredibly flavorful and packed with nutrients, this wonderful Chicken Barley Soup is sure to become a family favorite!  Make double batch while you're at it because it's great for leftovers or freezing!
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 25 mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine All, American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 396 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 yellow onion ,chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic ,minced
  • 3 large carrots ,diced
  • 2 large celery stalks ,diced
  • 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 1/2 pound bone-in chicken pieces (can also use chicken breast but bone-in pieces provide a vastly superior flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried chopped sage, 1/4 teaspoon if ground
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Heat the butter in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in the barley and cook for another minute.
  • Add all remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
  • Remove the chicken, remove the meat from the bones and dice it, discard the skin and bones, and return the meat to the soup. Add the parsley. Simmer for another minute until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

This soup tastes even better the next day. The barley will swell and soak up more liquid so you may need to add a little extra broth when reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 674mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5535IU | Vitamin C: 7.5mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Keyword Chicken Barley Soup
Tried this recipe? We'd love to see it!Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

 

 

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Filed Under: Affiliate, All Recipes, Chicken, Disclosure, Food, Main Dishes, Paleo, Soups & Stews Tagged With: barley, chicken, low carb, soup, stew, vegetables

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22 Responses

  1. Rosemarie says

    December 16, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    Soup is wonderful Kimberly. You are a fantastic cook.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 16, 2020 at 8:52 pm

      Thank you so much, Rosemarie! :)

      Reply
  2. Paul Marshall says

    March 2, 2019 at 5:43 am

    I wish you wouldn’t use cups as a measurement!! or at least put the equivalent grams measurement

    The internet is world wide not just for Dumb Americans who can’t use a set of scales!!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 2, 2019 at 7:31 am

      Ah, but my blog and I happen to be in America ;) And speaking of dumb versus smart, the measurements are easy enough to convert using a simple online calculator. That said, all of my recipes from the past year and forward have a conversion tool that does it automatically – the older recipes will eventually all have that feature as well, but it will take some time to go through 700+ recipes.

      Reply
    • Mimi says

      September 29, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      Dumb Americans? Excuse me, but you happen to live in America, or do you? If you do, learn American measurements ……. if I moved to your country, I’d have to learn yours. Don’t be so critical of things you obviously don’t know!!

      Reply
    • Gaius Gracchus says

      December 13, 2020 at 11:32 am

      As a US citizen, I would be happy if the US would convert to metric; however, it is rude and low class behavior to attack the citizens of a country just because their measuring system differs from yours.

      Reply
  3. Teri says

    October 27, 2018 at 7:49 am

    I forgot to rate it.

    Reply
  4. Teri says

    October 27, 2018 at 7:48 am

    This soup is wonderful – I have been making it weekly and freezing it in individual containers!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 27, 2018 at 8:45 am

      Fantastic, Teri, thanks so much!

      Reply
  5. Ashley says

    November 5, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    This was AMAZING!!!!! I substituted rotisserie chicken because I was feeling kinda lazy but I got raves from my family. I will be making this again!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 5, 2017 at 12:31 pm

      Fantastic, Ashley, thanks so much!

      Reply
  6. Joanna, Malaysia says

    July 4, 2017 at 11:05 pm

    Just tried this soup recipe with pork instead. My 4yo loves it. Added pasta spirals to fill him up. Thank you for the lovely recipe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      July 4, 2017 at 11:13 pm

      Wonderful, Joanna, I’m so glad your son enjoyed it, thank you!

      Reply
  7. Angie | Big Bear's Wife says

    January 1, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    It’s so cold here and all I can think about is how great this soup would be right now. It looks perfect!

    Reply
  8. Kim Beaulieu says

    November 18, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    That’s a big bowl of comfort right there. My mom used to make barley soup. Love that yours has chicken in it. I want to slurp about 3 bowls of this right this minute.

    Reply
  9. Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says

    November 18, 2015 at 2:46 am

    I love warm, filling soups! This sounds like a great recipe for a rainy day!

    Reply
  10. Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen) says

    November 17, 2015 at 7:02 pm

    This is comfort in a bowl. I just want to dive into the pictures! The broth looks so rich and lucious. Yum!

    Reply
  11. Alisa Fleming says

    November 17, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    This is an old favorite that I haven’t made in years! I love how warm and nourishing your soup looks and the use of fresh herbs.

    Reply
  12. Amy @ Accidental Happy Baker says

    November 17, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    I am such a soup lover. We have soup at least once a week year round. Both of your barley soups look fantastic.

    Reply
  13. Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says

    November 17, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    It’s been so chilly in San Diego recently. I’ve been craving soup daily. Need to add this to the rotation. Looks so hearty and delicious!!

    Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:
The Daring Gourmet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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