Chicken Barley Soup

This Chicken Barley Soup can also be made with leftover turkey, and this comforting soup only uses a small amount of barley! You could also replace the barley with cauliflower rice if you want a soup that’s slightly lower in carbs and gluten-free.

PIN Chicken Soup with Barley to try it later!

Chicken Barley Soup can also be made with leftover turkey if you have some! And this is a soup I love to make on the stove, where it simmers and fills the house with wonderful smells. And when you don’t have leftover chicken or turkey, see instructions for starting with a couple of chicken breasts and cooking them to get diced chicken.

Don’t be tempted to increase the amount of barley in the Chicken and Barley Soup! If you haven’t cooked with barley that much, you’ll be surprised how much it increases. And I think barley has a delightfully nutty flavor that combines perfectly with chicken or turkey.

This soup doesn’t use a lot of barley so it’s also surprisingly low in net carbs! But see tips in the recipe if you want a version that’s gluten-free and even lower in carbs. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• cooked chicken or turkey
• canned chicken broth (affiliate link) or turkey broth (or homemade chicken stock or homemade turkey stock would be great)
• water
• Better than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base (affiliate link)
• Dried Thyme (affiliate link) or slightly less ground thyme if you have it
• Poultry Seasoning (affiliate link)
• Dried Parsley (affiliate link)
• onion
• celery
• carrots
• pearl barley (affiliate link) or frozen cauliflower rice for gluten-free and lower-carb version
• fresh ground black pepper to taste, salt if desired

What is Barley?

Barley is a type of ancient grain that’s tasty and high in fiber. It has a slightly nutty taste and chewy texture.

Is Barley Gluten-Free?

Barley is not gluten-free and it should be avoided by people who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

How low in carbs is the Chicken Barley Soup?

This soup recipe has a lot of chicken or turkey and vegetables and not much barley. So this is a soup with only 7.1 net carbs per serving and 15 grams of protein! (Recently I realized some of the nutritional info was not correct, so that has been fixed!)

How to make Chicken and Barley Soup lower in carbs and gluten-free:

If you’d like to make a version of this soup that’s gluten-free and lower in carbs, just replace barley with about 1 1/2 cups of frozen cauliflower rice.

How to Make Chicken Barley Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. I simmered two chicken breasts in water with a little chicken soup base to get the chicken, but use leftover diced chicken or turkey if you have some.
2. While the chicken cooks, combine the chicken broth or turkey broth (or homemade stock), water, vegetable bouillon, dried thyme, Poultry Seasoning, and dried parsley and let it simmer while you prep other ingredients.
3. Chop up an onion and a cup of finely chopped celery and add it to the simmering soup pot.
4. Then slice the carrots and add them to the soup with 1/2 cup of pearl barley and continue simmering. (Don’t add the cauliflower rice yet if you’re using that)
5. When it is cool enough to handle, chop up the chicken (or use 2 cups diced leftover chicken or leftover turkey if you prefer.)
6. When the barley is nearly tender, add the chicken or turkey (and frozen cauliflower rice, if using) and continue cooking until the barley is as tender as you’d like it.
7. I cooked the soup at a very low simmer for about an hour and 15 minutes total.
8. Don’t add the chicken or turkey too soon or it will string apart in the soup.
9. Season the Chicken Barley Soup with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste and serve hot.

Make it for a Carb-Conscious Meal:

You could serve this chicken soup with barley as a one-dish meal. But if you want to add something else, it would be great with one of these low-carb breads or muffins:

• Low-Carb Olive Bread
• Low-Carb High Fiber Savory Muffins
• Savory Almond Flour Bread

Want Low-Carb Turkey Soup Recipes?

Check out Low-Carb Turkey Soup Recipes if you’re looking for ideas to use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!

Weekend Food Prep:

This Chicken Barley Soup that’s also perfect to make with leftover turkey has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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4.3 Stars (24 Reviews)

Yield: 8 servings

Chicken and Barley Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

This delicious Chicken and Barley Soup can also be made with leftover turkey, and this is surprisingly low in net carbs for a soup with barley. Just switch out the barley for cauliflower rice if you prefer a version that's gluten-free and slightly lower in carbs.

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 cups diced cooked chicken (see notes)
• 8 cups chicken or turkey broth (see notes)
• 2 cups water (plus more if needed)
• 2 T Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base (see notes)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 T dried parsley
• 1 large onion, chopped small
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup sliced or diced carrots
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• fresh ground black pepper to taste, salt if desired

Instructions

1. If you don’t have leftover chicken or turkey,  put two large chicken breasts in a small saucepan with some water and a little bit of Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (affiliate link) and simmer over very low heat about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is barely done.
2. Let chicken cool, then dice into small pieces.
3. In a large stock pot, combine chicken or turkey stock (or canned chicken broth), water, vegetable soup base, dried thyme, poultry seasoning (affiliate link), and dried parsley.
4. Simmer 15 minutes while you chop veggies and chicken.
5. After 15 minutes, add chopped onion, chopped celery, sliced carrots, and barley. (See notes if you want a soup that's lower in carbs and gluten-free.)
6. Start to simmer, and when the barley is nearly done (about 45 minutes) add the diced chicken. (Add the cauliflower rice now if you're making that version.)
7. You may want to add a cup or so of water if the soup reduces too much.
8. When the barley is done to your liking, season the Chicken Barley Soup with fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste, and serve hot. (Be sure to taste before adding salt if using canned chicken stock, which can be rather salty.)

Notes

This soup can also be made with diced, cooked turkey.53

Nutritional information is for the soup made with barley.

If you're cooking chicken breasts, use 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts.

You can use chicken broth in a can or a carton if you don't have homemade chicken stock.

Better than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base (affiliate link) is optional, but recommended for best flavor, other types of veggie stock cubes can be used.

To make a version of this soup that's slightly lower in carbs and gluten-free, switch out the barley for 1 1/2 cups frozen cauliflower rice.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 163Total Fat 7.5gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4.4gCholesterol 53mgSodium 1430mgCarbohydrates 8.8gFiber 1.7gSugar 3.4gProtein 15g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Chicken and Barley Soup is surprising low in carbs, with only 7.1 net carbs per serving. For a similar soup that’s even lower in carbs and also gluten-free, see notes in the recipe to replace barley with frozen cauliflower rice. This is a great meal for phase two or three of the original South Beach Diet. For South Beach you could also make the same soup with brown rice or wild rice, which would also be gluten-free.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This soup recipe with chicken and barley was first posted in 2006 and I’ve made it so many times since then! The photos were updated in 2012 and the recipe was last updated with more information in 2026.