Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Chicken Barley Soup 3.7 (246) Prep Time: 25 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 Warm up with a bowl of soup that's brimming with healthy grains and bright vegetables. Directions In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until chicken is opaque at edges, about 2 minutes. Add broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Cook's Notes Quick-cooking barley has been hulled, steamed, and then dried, so it will become soft and plump in 10 minutes as it simmers in broth with chicken and aromatics.