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You are here: Home / Soups and Stews / Weeknight Chicken Barley Soup

Weeknight Chicken Barley Soup

Modified: Jan 5, 2024 · Published: Feb 27, 2020 by Carissa · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

This comforting Chicken Barley Soup is easy to make even on the busiest weeknights, thanks to supermarket rotisserie chicken.

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I recently bought a little bag of barley that I didn't have plans for. I bought it on a whim, and it sat in my pantry for several weeks. That's what happens when I buy things that are NOT on my grocery list.

But after having it stare down at me from it's spot on the front of the shelf it was sitting on, I decided to add it to some soup. Of course I first thought of Beef Barley soup, which is a classic.

But I didn't have beef. And I did have some leftover frozen rotisserie chicken. So Chicken and Barley Soup it was.

Chicken Barley Soup

How to make Chicken Barley Soup

Making your own chicken barley soup is pretty much like making chicken noodle soup, but with barley instead of noodles. The result is a soup that is higher in fiber, with a little extra chewiness to it; thanks to the whole grains.

In this case, you only need one pot to cook your soup, as you don't need to cook the barley separately - you just throw it right in with the soup.

As an added weeknight-friendly bonus, this soup uses pre-cooked chicken to make it super quick to cook. I love to use rotisserie chicken because it's an easy and affordable option, but if you have leftover chicken you've cooked yourself, feel free to use that instead.

Chicken Barley Soup Closeup

Note that there might be some variation in cooking time for this soup, depending on what kind of barley you have.

Some barley takes longer to cook than others. Mine was "Italian Barley", and its package instructed that I cook it for 12 minutes.

Some barley takes much longer to cook, so if you want a quick cooking soup, make sure you check the package instructions when you're choosing it at the grocery store.

Chicken Barley Soup 2

Weeknight Chicken Barley Soup Ingredients:

  • Rotisserie chicken: or any leftover cooked chicken
  • Olive oil: or replace with your favorite neutral-flavored cooking oil or butter
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Medium onion: For even more of a time-saving bonus, use a frozen mirepoix blend (use approximately 2-4 cups of it, depending on how many veggies you like in your soup)
  • Kosher salt: or use MSG-salt
  • Garlic
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Dried thyme
  • Chicken broth: my favorite is Better Than Bouillon, but you could use any brand, or homemade
  • Barley: Make sure to check the package to see how long it needs to cook. Ensure to soak barley ahead of time if the package recommends doing so.
  • Bay leaf
Chicken Barley Soup on spoon

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Weeknight Chicken Barley Soup Nutrition Notes:

The sodium content of this recipe will vary depending on what type of chicken broth you use. The calculations I made used homemade broth, which is what I used to make it.

If you use store-bought broth, choose a reduced- or low-sodium version to help keep the sodium content of this recipe down.

Chicken barley soup in a light blue bowl

Weeknight Chicken Barley Soup

Carissa Serink
This comforting Chicken Barley Soup is easy to make even on the busiest weeknights, thanks to supermarket rotisserie chicken.
4.50 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 312 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 rotisserie chicken
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery sliced
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more if needed
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ⅔ cup barley (see note)
  • 1 bay leaf
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Instructions
 

  • Remove all the meat from the rotisserie chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. Discard bones and skin, or save them for another use. Measure out 1 pound of the chicken to use in the soup (it will be about half of a large rotisserie chicken). Pack the remaining chicken in an airtight container or bag to refrigerate or freeze for another use.
  • Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and just starting to brown. Stir in 1 clove garlic (minced), ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Slowly pour in 6 cups chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil. Add ⅔ cup barley and 1 bay leaf then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 15-30 minutes until the barley is soft (see note)
  • Stir in the 1 pound of rotisserie chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Add additional salt and/or pepper to taste if needed.

Notes

The cooking time will depend on the type of barley you used - use the cooking guidelines on the barley package to help you determine how long it needs to cook. Choose barley that cooks more quickly for a weeknight friendly, faster cooking soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3450IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
Keyword barley, chicken, comfort food, dinner, soup, whole grain
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Chicken barley soup in a light blue bowl
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4.50 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I'm Carissa!

I'm the face behind Domestic Dreamboat. I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love to stay healthy. Thanks for joining me in my homemade journey!

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