Description
This delicious simple Chicken Barley Soup is loaded with just the right balance of hearty barley and tender chicken breast that is encased in the most incredible down-home extra chickeny broth! It’s a comforting meal that is sure to warm you up as the days get colder.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 chicken breasts (whole, with skin and/or bone in)
- â…” cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
2. Add the broth, chicken breasts, barley, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the barley is tender.
3. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred with two forks.
4. Add the chicken back to the soup. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Notes
Use pearl barley, as it cooks faster than standard barley. Adjust seasoning at the end to avoid over-salting.
To make creamy chicken barley soup, add a little heavy cream when you return the shredded chicken to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 222
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 533mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0.01g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 24mg