This chicken barley soup with kale and a garlic chili oil is so quick to come together, you'll think you've been cooking it for hours.
Who doesn't love soup - from butternut squash apple soup to roasted tomato soup to green chili chicken enchilada soup. The options are endless. But a lot of soups take some time to prepare.
When I say this chicken barley soup tastes like it's been coming together for hours, I really mean it. And to me that's the best kind of soup - something that tastes amazing but can be made in an hour. And it takes an hour because that's how long you have to cook the barley. Otherwise it could be ready in just 30 minutes.
Speaking of barley, since it's high in fiber it will reduce hunger and may help you lose weight. I know most people associate barley with beef for soup, but it goes great with chicken as well.
The real star though is the garlic chili oil. It just perfectly offsets the hint of lemon you get in the soup. You honestly might as well go ahead and double the garlic oil recipe as you'll be wanting it for other meals as well.
Originally I was wanting to make a chicken kale soup but I also had some barley, and then I remembered a Bon Appetit recipe my coworker had made and loved.
While their recipe called for white rice, I thought barley would be a better substitute and I wasn't wrong. So if you're looking for a soup that is tasty, healthy and satisfying, this chicken barley soup should hit the spot.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil - used to cook the produce.
- Garlic, sweet onion, kale, lemon - where a ton of the flavor comes from for this soup.
- Crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper - enhances the flavor.
- Chicken broth - low-sodium is best.
- Barley - farro or rice works as well.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - chicken thighs work too.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in saucepan cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the garlic oil to a heatproof bowl and stir in crushed red pepper flakes.
- Reserve 1 tbsp of the oil and cook onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the broth broth, barley and chicken. Bring to boil the reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken and shred while continue to cook soup for another 30-40 minutes, or until barley is cooked.
- Add chicken back to soup and stir in kale and lemon juice. Season for salt and pepper. Serve with some garlic chili oil
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes of course. Sometimes I do this myself. You’ll want to add about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to the soup.
Benefits of Barley
Like many grains, barley has a ton of benefits, including:
- Rich in nutrients
- Reduces hunger
- Improves digestion
- Helps lower cholesterol
What if I Don't Have Barley?
Not a problem. As I said above, the original recipe this is based on used rice. You can even use something like farro as well if you want to mix it up.
How to Freeze
You just want to let the soup come to room temperature before placing in a airtight container. You can keep in the freezer for 4-6 months.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- The garlic chili oil has a kick to it so if you don't love spice either remove entirely or use ½ tsp less. If you like spice you can always add ½ - 1 tsp more.
- Use quality low-sodium chicken broth as it contributes to the flavor. You can also use chicken stock which gives the soup more mouth feel.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- You know the barley is done when it has tripled in volume and is soft yet chewy.
- Remove the stems from the kale before adding to the soup as they are too fibrous to eat.
Other Soup Recipes
- Thai Chicken Peanut Ramen
- Salsa Verde Chicken Pozole
- Beer Cheese Soup
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
If you’ve tried this chicken barley soup or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chicken Barley Soup
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup barley
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 1 ½ lemons, juiced
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring often for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the garlic and oil to a heatproof bowl and stir in crushed red pepper flakes.
- Return pot to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of the garlic oil. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, barley, and chicken to pot. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken and shred. Continue cooking soup for another 30-40 minutes or until barley is cooked.
- Once barley is cooked, stir in kale and shredded chicken. Remove pot from heat and add lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.
- Serve in bowls and top with reserved garlic chili oil.
Notes
- The garlic chili oil has a kick to it so if you don't love spice either remove entirely or use ½ tsp less. If you like spice you can always add ½ - 1 tsp more.
- Use quality low-sodium chicken broth as it contributes to the flavor. You can also use chicken stock which gives the soup more mouth feel.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- You know the barley is done when it has tripled in volume and is soft yet chewy.
- Remove the stems from the kale before adding to the soup as they are too fibrous to eat.
Chris says
The garlic chili oil sounds really good!