Go Back
–+ servings
Chicken barley soup recipe.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Chicken Barley Soup

This chicken barley soup is so easy to throw together, and it's always a hit with my family! Chicken, veggies, barley, savory broth... you can't go wrong!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds skin on bone-in chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 cup pearled barley
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 1 (5-ounce) box baby kale
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until softened.
  • Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken, barley and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer cover and cook for 25 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool for a few minutes on a cutting board. Shred the chicken, taking care to discard all of the skin and bones.
  • Turn off the heat, stir in the shredded chicken, lemon zest and juice, baby kale and stir until the kale is wilted.

Notes

My Top Tip: If you want to add maximum flavor without added sodium or other ingredients, you can use your chicken, herbs and vegetables and make your own chicken broth to be frozen and used in future recipes.
Storage: Let your soup cool down to room temperature and place the soup covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. 
Freezing: Add the soup, once cooled, to a large freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat it directly in a pan, whenever you're ready to eat. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7585IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 3mg

QR code

Scan code to view the full recipe on your phone.