Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup - Hearty Chicken Soup with Carrots,Celery ,Onions and Pearl barley.This Instant Pot Soup recipe is Super healthy.It can be made Paleo and Whole 30 compliant with a few easy swaps!
This Soup recipe can also be made with left over Rotisseri chicken or Raw Chicken Thighs.
If you need to make a glutenfree version, you can replace barley with quinoa or Sourgham(Jowar).Jowar will give a similar finish as barley.
It's also a great recipe for meal planning. I make a giant batch of this and eat it for dinner over the week.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup
This gorgeous soup can be made easily with pantry staples.
All you need is-
- Pearl Barley
- Chicken - Already Cooked or Raw Whole Chicken Thighs
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions
- Chicken Broth
- Herbs
- Olive Oil
A note on Chicken
You can use already cooked shredded chicken like leftover Rotisseri Chicken or even turkey.If using already cooked chicken, add it in the end after the pressure cooking step is over.
When using Raw Chicken, I prefer Whole Chicken Thighs because their cooking time matches that of the barley.If you use chicken breast, they tend to over cook.Though you can use frozen chicken breast instead.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup
Step 1: Prep
Cut the Vegetables- Onions,Carrots,Celery and Garlic.
Step 2:Saute
Select the SAUTE function.Once hot, add oil.Add Garlic and saute for 10-15 seconds. Add and Saute the Onions, celery and Carrots.Cook till they are translucent.
Step 3:Pressure Cook
Cancel Saute. Add all the left over ingredients- Barley,Chicken,Chicken stock(or water),Salt and pepper.Mix it up.
Close the lid and Select Pressure Cook for 18 minutes.Let the pressure release naturally.
Open the instant pot, remove the chicken and shred it.Put it back in the pot.
If using Cooked chicken, add it after opening the instant pot.Add the chicken and bring it to boil in saute mode.
Is Chicken Barley Soup healthy?
Low GI Soup- This soup is low on GI because of the pearl barley.
Gluten Free- Barley contains Gluten but the soup can be made gluten free if you substitute barley with Sourgham or quinoa.Sorurgham will have same meaty bite as barley.
Paleo and Whole 30- you can omit the barley to make is paleo and whole 30 friendly.Also, you could replace the barley with chunks of potatoes to make it a more wholesome soup.
Tips and Alternatives for Chicken Barley Soup
Natural Pressure Release - When cooking anything liquidy in the instant pot, it's always advisable to let the pressure release naturally.This is done to avoid the liquid spurting out of the pressure valve.
Change up the veggies- You can add a lot more veggies to the soup.Green Peas,Cauliflower and Potatoes will work very well in this Barley Soup.
Here are some more healthy instant pot recipes for you
Soups are easy dinner options that are healthy and filling.They also freeze well.Thats the reason everyone should have several soup recipes in their repertoire.
Here are some easy instantpot soup recipes for you
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Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Barley
- 2 Chicken Thighs Whole / more options in notes
- ½ Cup Celery Chopped
- ½ Cup Onion Chopped
- ½ Cup Carrot Chopped
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt to Taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or more as per your tolerance
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Sprig Fresh Oregano Optional
- 3 Cups Chicken Broth or Water
Instructions
- Heat the Instant Pot in SAUTE mode.
- Once hot, add olive oil.
- Add the Garlic and let it sizzle for 10-20 seconds.
- Add the Chopped onions,Carrots and Celery and Saute for 3 minutes till the onions start turning translucent.
- Add the Oregano, Bayleaf, Chicken Thighs,Barley,Salt,Pepper and 3 cups of water.
- Cancel SAUTE and Close the lid.Select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 18 minutes with the pressure valve in SEALING position.
- Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid, take out the bay leaf and oregano and discard.
- Take out the chicken thighs- Shred and add back to the soup.(If using precooked chicken add at this stage)
- Add more water/Stock if you like the soup to be more watery.Bring to boil and seve hot.
Niki says
When do you add the barley? There’s no mention of this in the recipe.
chhavi says
Hey Niki,
Barley is added just before the pressure cooking step along with the chicken.
Gloria says
If I use more broth and I add more ingredients to balance out the broth do I add more cooking time?
chhavi says
No i dont think so.The instant pot will just take longer to come to pressure. Though be careful about not going above the 2/3 level given in the instant pot.