Hearty Chicken Barley Soup

Total Time Prep: 15 min. Cook: 1-1/2 hours
Yield 5 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
No question—this is my favorite soup. It's so filling that I serve it as a hearty main dish, and I have given the recipe to many of our friends and relatives. It tastes too good to keep to yourself!

Ingredients

  • 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup medium pearl barley
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Directions

  1. In a stock pot, cook chicken in water until tender. Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cool broth and skim off fat.
  2. Remove meat from bones; discard bones and cut meat into cubes; return to pot along with remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour or until vegetables and barley are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 259 calories, 5g fat (0 saturated fat), 89mg cholesterol, 127mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 31g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable.

No question—this is my favorite soup. It's so filling that I serve it as a hearty main dish, and I have given the recipe to many of our friends and relatives. It tastes too good to keep to yourself!
Recipe Creator

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