Published: February 16, 2024 · Updated: July 19, 2025
Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Barley
By Heartstone Farm Kitchen
When you start your soup recipe with a whole air-chilled, antiobiotic-free chicken from Heartstone Farm, you are well on your way to a nice big batch of delicious, soul-satisfying and nutritious meal. The ultimate cure-all for common colds and winter blues, this chicken soup recipe is packed with protein, vitamins and fiber (from the barley which also adds great texture). Ladle out some bowls for the family and freeze a little for future meals. Here's to your health.
Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Barley
Lynne Viera
6-8
20 minutes
3 hours
333
American
chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Heartstone Farm whole chicken
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks large celery, washed and diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 medium leek, washed and diced
- 3 large carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into rounds
- 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley; chopped
Directions
Add whole chicken to a sufficiently large stock pot and add enough cold water to cover the chicken thoroughly, add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 2 hours, skimming off foam occasionally
In the meantime, in a medium saucepan add barley and enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and gently simmer for about 40 minutes. Strain and set aside when done
Remove the stock pot with chicken from heat and take the chicken out of the pot. Remove all the meat from the chicken, pull or dice into bite-size pieces and set aside
Carefully strain stock using cheesecloth or a fine sieve. De-grease as needed. Keep approx. 5-6 cups stock for this recipe and store the remainder for future use
Add 5-6 cups stock back to stock pot. Add vegetables, season well with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables have softened
Add chicken to soup, along with barley and heat through
Season again to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve
