Chicken Barley Soup

4.96 from 24 votes

Chicken Barley Soup

This Chicken Barley Soup has tender shredded chicken, chewy pearl barley, and a broth that tastes like it took all afternoon. One pot, about an hour, and it's even better the next day. Just add a splash of broth when you reheat, because the barley keeps absorbing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barley soup, chicken barley soup, chicken soup

Servings:

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

6 Quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 large carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
6 cups chicken broth low sodium
2 chicken breasts whole, with skin and/or bone in
⅔ cup pearl barley rinsed
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, and 2 chopped stalks of celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent.
Add the 6 cups chicken broth, 2 chicken breasts, ⅔ cup pearl barley, 1 cube chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the barley is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer. If the barley still has a firm center, keep cooking.
Remove the bay leaves. Carefully lift the chicken breasts out of the pot and shred them with two forks, discarding the skin.
Return the shredded chicken to the soup and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then ladle into bowls and serve.

Video

Notes

Use pearl barley. It cooks in 45 minutes to an hour. Hulled or pot barley needs 60 to 90 minutes and more liquid.
Season at the end. Soup reduces as it cooks, so salt added early concentrates. Taste before adjusting.
Leftovers thicken. Barley keeps absorbing liquid overnight. Add a splash of broth when reheating and it loosens right back up.
Barley contains gluten. For a gluten free version, use rice or a gluten free grain and check it earlier.
Make it creamy: add a splash of heavy cream with the shredded chicken and cook 3 minutes to thicken.
Chicken thighs: use about 4 boneless thighs in place of the 2 breasts.
Storage: fridge up to 5 days, freezer up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze without the barley and cook a fresh batch when reheating.
Slow cooker: soften the vegetables first, then low for 6 to 7 hours. Instant Pot: sauté the vegetables, then high pressure 20 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.

Originally published September 2022.

Nutrition