Chicken Barley Soup with Kale and Butternut Squash
Posted: 01/24/2014
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This easy chicken barley soup is packed with healthy vegetables like kale and squash, so delicious and good for you too!
Stir-fry is one of my “clean-out the fridge” meals. Well, so is soup. And spaghetti too, for that matter. Apparently I’m always cleaning out my fridge.
Not cleaning my fridge (obviously), cleaning out my fridge.
Let’s not get confused here.
Cleaning OUT the fridge happens for a number of reasons:
- I didn’t menu plan and am scrambling to make a meal.
- I need to go grocery shopping but I’m putting it off until the weekend so I don’t have to take the kids with me.
- I had a plan but I’m either a) too
lazyexhausted to carry through with it or b) bored with the idea before I even make it. Happens all the time.
I’m super duper not good at measuring ingredients and writing down recipes when I make these clean-out-the-fridge-no-recipe-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants meals.
But for this chicken barley soup, I actually wrote down the ingredients as I made it and translated my scribblings into a recipe that I can share with you. And it’s so delicious that I’m super excited to share it with you. I love it when good things happen.
This chicken barley soup is full of stuff that is really good for you and it really is simple to make. The butternut squash adds a subtle sweetness that balances the leafy green kale. I also add onions and celery, and you could easily add more veggies if you like.
Healthy gluten-free barley in this soup is perfect for the chewy bite it lends. Barley is so good in this vegan casserole with barley, bulgur, and vegetables or southwestern style barley casserole with ground turkey, made in a slow cooker.
And chicken is a must for my meat-loving husband. I use chicken thighs for this recipe but you could easily substitute breasts if you’re not a fan of thighs. For a vegetarian soup, simply leave the chicken out. This barley soup is plenty filling without chicken.
You could take this chicken barley soup a step further into easy-land by buying pre-cut squash, pre-washed and cut kale, and a rotisserie chicken from the store. Then all you’ll have to do is de-bone that beast (hate that job!) and throw it all together until the barley is nice and tender.
Snuggle up with a bowl of this soup, a blanket, and a fire in the fireplace or your favorite show on TV. Who says comfort food has to be unhealthy and laden with fat?
Looking for more easy soup recipes?
- Instant Pot chicken and rice soup — another gluten-free soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Lentil soup with pasta — vegetarian
- Crockpot beef stew
- Carrot ginger soup
- Creamy chicken enchilada soup with noodles
- Meatball soup with orzo
- Slow cooker tomato basil soup with orzo
- Split pea soup
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This easy chicken barley soup is packed with healthy vegetables like kale and squash, so delicious and good for you too!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cooked and shredded
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, leaves only, chopped
- 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 cup pearl barley (not quick cooking)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large soup pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery (stirring frequently) until onions are softened and translucent (about 7 minutes).
- Add chicken, kale, squash, broth, water and herbs and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, add barley, stir and reduce to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 50 minutes or until barley is tender.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1of 8, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 548mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Robin W. says
My family loves this recipe – including my daughter, who is fortunately a good eater, but not big on bitter greens or squash, so this is any easy way to get them both into her with no complaints. Great as is, but I often make it after Thanksgiving and use left over turkey and turkey stock instead of chicken.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! I bet it’s great with leftover turkey, yum!
Muriel Youngman says
Just the ither day I was wishing to have a homemade version of onion soup mix, and came across your recipe while loking for herbes de provence. I am so thrilled to find your version of both. Thankyou so much.
Rachel Gurk says
Oh I’m so glad you found some recipes to love, Muriel! Thanks for the note! :)
Gretchen says
Can this be adapted for crock pot?
Rachel Gurk says
I think it would work well in the crock pot but I haven’t tested it so I can’t guarantee the results. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
John Birkeland says
I see this recipe is a few years old, but was wondering how I would have depth this for a slow cooker
Rachel Gurk says
I think it would work well in the crock pot but I haven’t tested it so I can’t guarantee the results. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Janet says
I just made your chicken barley soup with kale and all I can say is DELICIOUS! I ate two bowls and could easily eat another one. This will definitely be one of my favs. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
Oh I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know — made my day!
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says
This just moved way up on my must make for dinner list. My kids will eat just about anything if it has butternut squash in it.
Liz @ Virtually Homemade says
I love those recipes that just come together with pantry items and leftovers! This looks very yummy :)
Traci says
I could see myself making this with sweet potatoes because I have those on hand more than I have squash. But yes, a perfect clean out the fridge meal!
denise says
I’d call it comfort food!
Zainab @ Blahnik Baker says
I love the flavors in this soup!! And the fact that i can gobble a few bowls with no guilt :)
Kathryn says
Love the flavours in this; it sounds such a hearty and tasty soup!