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Recipes » lunch » soup » Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup

By Kate Morgan Jackson

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Fill up your slow cooker with chicken, barley, veggies and broth to make this warm and comforting slow cooker chicken barley soup!

slow cooker chicken barley soup

This super-duper-easy recipe brings together a few of my favorite things, namely tender chicken, sweet veggies, good-for-you barley…and my beloved slow cooker.  I

t’s one of those recipes that is so ridiculously easy that it feels like magic when you toss everything in and it comes out of the slow cooker as a wonderful concoction of warm and wonderful soup.  I

t’s the perfect thing for chilly, busy winter days.

Here’s how you make slow cooker chicken barley soup!

I based this recipe on one of my all time favorite slow cooker recipes, my beloved beef barley soup.

But in this case the beef was replaced by boneless chicken breasts (and feel totally free to replace those with chicken thighs if you are more of a dark meat person), and chicken broth instead of beef broth.

Both of those get tossed in the slow cooker along with some pearled barley and some chopped sweet onion, with a dash of poultry seasoning.  Cook it on low for about 8 hours and then come back.

By then the chicken will be so tender it is falling apart…scoop it out, shred it into bite-sized pieces with two forks and pop it back in.

Now cook some chopped carrot and celery in the microwave until they are tender and stir them into the soup.

All that is left to do now is season it to taste with salt and pepper and dish it up.

slow cooker chicken barley soup

Needless to say, this also makes amazing leftovers.  It will thicken up a little in the fridge as the barley absorbs more of the broth, but you can thin it down as needed with more chicken broth or water.

So there you have it – a perfect, easy, delicious winter soup, with thanks once again to the trusty slow cooker!

 

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Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup


★★★★★ 4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooker and Microwave
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Fill up your slow cooker with chicken, barley, veggies and broth to make this warm and comforting slow cooker chicken barley soup!


Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 5 cups chicken broth (I like the boxed Pacific and Imagine varieties)
  • 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup pearled barley
  • 1 tablespoons poultry seasoning
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, sliced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine everything but carrots, celery, salt and pepper in slow cooker and stir to mix. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  2. Remove chicken with slotted spoon, shred into bite-sized pieces with two forks and return to slow cooker.
  3. Put carrots and celery in microwave-safe dish with about 1/8 cup water. Microwave for 4 minutes. Add carrots and celery to soup.
  4. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
1443.1 g641.7 mg2.1 g0.4 g0 g15.6 g3.4 g15.6 g44.5 mg

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Kate Morgan Jackson

Hi there!  I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover.  I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN!  My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too.  And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!as seen in logos

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Published on December 8, 2013

Good for: Comfort Foods, Slow Cooker Favorites

Last Post:
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Next Post:
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  1. Joanne says

    December 8, 2013 at 10:23 am

    This is definitely chicken soup for the soul!!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 23, 2013 at 9:42 am

      Yay! I think so too. :)

      Reply
  2. Rachel says

    December 9, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    Wondering why you wouldn’t put the carrot and celery in to the pot earlier? Wouldn’t it add more flavor?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 9, 2013 at 6:54 pm

      A couple of reasons – first, they would get very mushy if they cooked that long, and while you want them soft you don’t want them to fall apart. Second, they will actually give the soup more taste if they are cooked just until they are tender – their unique flavors will stand out instead of melding in with the chicken taste. :)

      Reply
  3. Lynne says

    December 9, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    And I just made the beef barley soup last night (or shall I say yesterday morning).

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 23, 2013 at 9:42 am

      My favorite of all favorites. :)

      Reply
  4. Nutmeg Nanny says

    December 20, 2013 at 2:17 pm

    Oh yum, this looks so warm and inviting! I’d love a bowl of this right now :)

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 23, 2013 at 9:43 am

      Well, you might have to wait a few hours but if you start now you could have it for supper tonight!

      Reply
  5. Amanda says

    January 16, 2014 at 8:47 am

    Trying this tonight. However, I realized that I bought quick cooking barley. Do you think that will still work?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      January 16, 2014 at 9:57 am

      It should – but just to be safe, if you can add it half way through the cooking time, it might keep it from being too mushy.

      Reply
  6. Sherri says

    January 3, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    Everyone LOVES this one.
    I actually use more broth (@ 7-8 cups) and it still really is more like a stew than a soup.
    Very delicious!!!!
    Highly recommend it!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kate says

      January 4, 2019 at 9:05 am

      Sherri! Thank you so much for this sweet comment and I am so glad this is a hit in your house – we love it too! Happy New Year! :)

      Reply
  7. Ron Powers says

    August 5, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    Will not work for anyone with blood sugar problems. Carrots have a high glycemic index rating.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Kate Morgan Jackson says

      August 7, 2019 at 4:09 pm

      I think you could leave out the carrots and it would still taste pretty great, so thanks for the heads up on this, Ron

      Reply

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

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