Fill up your CrockPot with chicken, barley, veggies and broth to make this warm and comforting slow cooker chicken barley soup! And maybe some easy, buttery focaccia bread on the side? It’s the perfect soothing lunch or supper.
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Why we love this recipe
This super-duper-easy recipe brings together a few of my favorite things, namely tender chicken, sweet veggies, good-for-you barley…and my wonderful slow cooker.
It’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 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.
It’s the perfect comfort food for chilly, busy winter days (or really any time you are just craving chicken soup with barley…even if it’s the middle of July!).
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can swap in boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Barley: Barley is a slightly chewy, nutty whole grain that is full of fiber and that adds a wonderful heartiness to this soup. It comes in two forms, pearled barley and hulled barley, and while we tend to opt for pearled barley, both versions will work just fine for this recipe. Look for it in the rice aisle of your supermarket.
- Chicken broth: As always, we use the boxed versions of chicken broth instead of the canned – we think the flavor is fresher. But the canned version is fine if you would rather use that.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Get out your slow cooker and put some boneless chicken, chicken broth, chopped onion, barley and poultry seasoning into it and give it all a good stir. Put the cover on and let it cook on low for 8 hours. Take a nap. 😴
Step 2: After the soup is cooked, scoop out the chicken and use two forks to shred it into bite sized pieces. (I find that this is a great job for any kiddos who want to help in the kitchen!)
Step 3: Put some chopped carrots and celery in a microwave safe dish with about 1/8 cup of water. Cover the dish and microwave them for about 4 minutes. Stir them into the soup along with the shredded chicken. Have a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Step 4: Ladle it into bowls and serve it up!
Recipe FAQs
It absolutely can! I actually think soup tastes better the next day because the flavors have even more of a chance to deepen. It may 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.
Poultry seasoning is a mix of spices, usually including sage, thyme, celery seed, marjoram, black pepper and nutmeg. You can find it in the spice aisle of your supermarket.
100% yes! Sometimes I add baby spinach or peas, or corn…it’s a great way to use up any leftover veggies. Simply stir them in with the shredded chicken and you are good to go.
You can! The cooking time will be about three and a half hours, and you can check your chicken for doneness with a food thermometer – it should read 165 degrees.
Pop your question in the comments and I will answer pronto!
Want to round out your meal?
We love any kind of biscuit with this slow cooker chicken soup. And a soup supper seems to need some cookies for dessert…maybe these sweet spice hermit cookies?
Other slow cooker soup recipes we love
Looking for more slow cooker inspiration? Here is our complete collection of slow cooker recipes!
So there you have it – a perfect, easy, delicious winter soup, with thanks once again to the trusty slow cooker!
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup
Fill up your slow cooker with chicken, barley, veggies and broth to make this warm and comforting slow cooker chicken barley soup!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker and Microwave
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 5 cups chicken broth (I like the boxed varieties better than the canned)
- 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
- Combine everything but carrots, celery, salt and pepper in slow cooker and stir to mix. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 3 to 3 and a half hours.
- Remove chicken with slotted spoon, shred into bite-sized pieces with two forks and return to slow cooker.
- Put carrots and celery in microwave-safe dish with about 1/8 cup water. Microwave for 4 minutes. Add carrots and celery to soup.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
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- Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can swap in boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
-
- Barley: Barley is a slightly chewy, nutty whole grain that is full of fiber and that adds a wonderful heartiness to this soup. It comes in two forms, pearled barley and hulled barley. Both versions will work just fine for this recipe. Look for it in the rice aisle of your supermarket.
-
- Chicken broth: As always, we use the boxed versions of chicken broth instead of the canned – we think the flavor is fresher. But the canned version is fine if you would rather use that.
Stephanie Neogra says
I was wondering if instead of using barley you can use orzo or other kinds of small pasta.
You can! However, you will want to add it near the end of the cooking time so the pasta doesn’t get mushy (barley is much sturdier which is why it can go in at the beginning). About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, take off the lid, quickly stir in the pasta and pop the lid back on. By the end of the cooking time the pasta should be done. Hope this helps! :)
Pat Willett says
I plan to make this today. For the sake of time, can the soup be cooked on high? If so, what is the recommended cooking time?
Hi Pat! I haven’t tried it on high, but I would think that 4 hours would do it! If you have an instant read thermometer, you can check the chicken for doneness – it should measure 165. If you have time, it would be great if you let us know how it came out! :)
Pat says
Thanks for responding! I assumed the cooking time should be decreased by half when cooking on high. To be sure, I consulted the internet while I waited for your reply. It confirmed 4-6 hours. The soup is on now and it’s been cooking for 2 hours with 2 hours remaining. I’ll be sure to let you know how it turned out.
Pat says
Update: Cooking for 4 hours on high overcooked the barley. Next time making it I will reduce the cooking time to 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Other than that, the soup was tasty. Even my hubby liked it.
Pat, thank you so much for this valuable info, and so glad the soup was tasty!
Thanks Pat! I’ve added the cooking time for the High setting to the recipe. :)
Maria says
You don’t say when or how long to cook the vegetables in the slow cooker after the 8-10 hours, I only had swede, carrots and leeks, so trying that and can you add potatoes? Thanks ☺
Hi Maria! That part in the recipe directions where it says to pop the veggies in the microwave is the part where they cook – I find they keep more of their own flavor if they cook that way and then get added in. And, you can definitely add potatoes! If you are cutting them up into small dice I would stir them in during the last hour of cooking and they should be fine. Alternatively you can simmer them in lightly salted water for a about 15 minutes and stir them in at the end and that will work too. Happy soup making!
Carolyn says
If you’re adding potatoes I suggest you use Russet. I find their firm enough to stand up to the slow cooker even if you put them in at the beginning.
Hi Carolyn and thanks for this good advice! Happy new year! :)
Ron Powers says
Will not work for anyone with blood sugar problems. Carrots have a high glycemic index rating.
I think you could leave out the carrots and it would still taste pretty great, so thanks for the heads up on this, Ron
Sherri says
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!!
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! :)
Amanda says
Trying this tonight. However, I realized that I bought quick cooking barley. Do you think that will still work?
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.
Nutmeg Nanny says
Oh yum, this looks so warm and inviting! I’d love a bowl of this right now :)
Well, you might have to wait a few hours but if you start now you could have it for supper tonight!
Lynne says
And I just made the beef barley soup last night (or shall I say yesterday morning).
My favorite of all favorites. :)
Rachel says
Wondering why you wouldn’t put the carrot and celery in to the pot earlier? Wouldn’t it add more flavor?
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. :)
Joanne says
This is definitely chicken soup for the soul!!
Yay! I think so too. :)