Chicken barley soup is wholesome, nutritious and very easy to make. A perfect comfort dish on a cold weather day. It is definitely filling thanks to fiber rich barley and nutrients rich vegetables and very satisfying, full of flavor and simply delicious.
I cannot get enough of the chewy barley with tender chicken, aromatic garlic onion and herbs in a flavorful broth together with fragrant vegetables. Soups are my go to soul comforting meals, they are also very cozy and gut soothing.
Chicken barley soup means cooking barley in a flavorful broth, chicken in this recipe, complemented with flavor builders like fragrant garlic and shallots, thyme and bay leaves and an addition of sweet tomatoes.
We are using pearl barley variety which cooks faster then pot barley and works better in this dish. It is still full of nutritious benefits, hearty and filled to the brim with healthy whole grains. Barley is very flavorful, with nutty, buttery earthy flavors and chewy texture.
I also use leftover cooked chicken as a convenient shortcut for this dish, rotisseries or boiled and poached all work great in this recipe.
Serve this comfort classic with a slice of wholesome wholegrain bread and a side salad for a complete, nutritious meal.
Follow the steps below to make delicious chicken barley soup.
