This has to be my favorite soup to make. Not only is it delicious and good for you, but it’s super easy, too! I’ll usually whip up a pot for lunches (for the two of us, it feeds us for about three days). The fresh thyme bundle is key to a flavorful broth, so don’t skip that step – enjoy!
Chicken Barley Soup
Roasting the chicken with lots of seasoning helps intensify the flavor of this soup. Add it in during the last 20-30 minutes of simmering to keep it from overcooking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- ½ – 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 box + 1 can chicken broth Swanson is a good choice
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. dried thyme plus a small bundle of fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 cup chopped cooked chicken I usually roast one big chicken breast or two smaller ones
- ½ cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
Instructions
- Sauté first three ingredients in olive oil in a soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds more.
- Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add the fresh thyme, and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes, or till the vegetables are tender.
- Add the chicken and barley and cook till the barley is tender (about 10-15 minutes).
Notes
- The cooked chicken can be store bought but roasting it at home allows you to control the flavor and overall quality. See our post for instructions on roasting the chicken (super easy).
- If you plan to let the soup simmer on the stove for an hour or two, you should reduce the amount of time you sauté the vegetables, so you don’t overcook them. I’ll usually sauté them for a minute or two, then add the garlic and stir that in for 20-30 seconds, then add the broth, etc. I also cut my carrots and celery into larger chunks, so they tolerate being cooked for longer (you don’t want them mushy).
- You can probably buy precut vegetables at your grocery store to save time, but it will only take 5-10 minutes to wash and cut them yourself. Minced garlic from a jar can also be used, but freshly minced is more flavorful.
- To make the soup keto-friendly, you can cook the grains (barley or white rice) separately and serve them in a bowl for people to add to their soup as desired. If you go this route and use barley, skip the fast cook kind and get the regular pearled barley. It takes about 45 minutes to cook, but it really is better. Cooking the grains separately prevents the starch in them from clouding up your soup (bonus!).
- You can always add more chicken broth if you need it. We usually have leftovers, and sometimes I’ll add more the second day if the barley has absorbed some of it, or if I added a lot of chicken and vegetables and just want to balance it out with more broth (it’s not unusual for me to go over the amounts listed here, which are a guideline, not a rule!).
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Barley Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
125
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
0.4
g
3
%
Trans Fat
0.003
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
16
mg
5
%
Sodium
134
mg
6
%
Potassium
276
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
18
g
6
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
2
g
2
%
Protein
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
3624
IU
72
%
Vitamin C
4
mg
5
%
Calcium
26
mg
3
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.