Lemon Chicken, Barley, and Vegetable Soup

By Cook EZ editorial · Published: 2026-08-30 · Updated: 2026-08-30 · 4 min read

This soup starts with 680 grams of chicken breast and 180 grams of dry pearled barley, then adds carrots, celery, onion, and kale. That distinction matters when you log it because dry barley and cooked barley have very different values per 100 grams. The recipe makes about 3.3 liters, enough for six bowls of roughly 550 ml each. Its vegetables and simply prepared chicken fit the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, focus on meals made from minimally processed foods.

Ingredients for six servings

The broth used for this estimate lists 10 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrate, and 140 milligrams sodium per 240 ml serving. Check your carton because low-sodium broths still vary.

  • 680 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 cm pieces
  • 180 g dry pearled barley, rinsed
  • 240 g carrots, sliced
  • 180 g celery, sliced
  • 200 g yellow onion, diced
  • 120 g kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 14 g olive oil (1 tablespoon)
  • 12 g garlic, minced
  • 1.9 liters low-sodium chicken broth (8 cups)
  • 60 g fresh lemon juice, plus finely grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 2 g dried thyme (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 g ground black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Cook the soup

Use a pot that holds at least 5 liters so the barley has room to expand. Keep raw chicken and its cutting board away from the kale and lemon that are added near the end.

  1. Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, then cook for 7 to 9 minutes until the onion softens.
  2. Add the chicken, garlic, thyme, and black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring so the chicken loses its raw color on the outside.
  3. Pour in the broth and stir in the 180 g dry barley. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cover partly.
  4. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the barley is tender. Check several of the largest chicken pieces with a food thermometer; each must reach 165 °F.
  5. Stir in the kale and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.
  6. Measure the finished yield, which should be close to 3.3 liters. Add a little hot water if needed, then divide into six servings of about 550 ml each.

Estimated nutrition per bowl

Estimated per serving, one sixth of the finished soup: 320 calories, 32 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 8 g fiber, and 300 mg sodium.

The calculation uses USDA FoodData Central values for the raw chicken and vegetables, 180 g of dry pearled barley, all 14 g of oil, and the broth label values stated above. It divides the full pot by six. Do not enter 180 g of cooked barley in a food database for this recipe; the calculation begins with 180 g dry. Broth brands, natural variation in chicken breast, evaporation, substitutions, and the final yield can change every value, especially sodium.

Barley, brown rice, and allergen notes

Barley contains gluten. For a gluten-free version, choose 180 g dry quick-cooking brown rice with a package cook time of about 10 to 15 minutes, and use a broth labeled gluten-free. Follow steps 1 and 2, add the broth without the rice, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, cook it for the exact time on its package, and add the kale for the final 4 to 5 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165 °F before adding the lemon. If your brown rice needs more than 20 minutes, cook it separately and stir it into the finished soup so the chicken and vegetables do not overcook. Brown rice has a different nutrient profile, so this article's 320-calorie estimate does not apply to either rice method. Recalculate from the dry rice amount and your broth label.

The listed recipe has no dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, peanut, tree nut, sesame, or soy ingredient, but broth formulations differ. Read the broth label for allergens and cross-contact information.

Check the chicken, then cool the soup

FoodSafety.gov lists 165 °F as the safe minimum internal temperature for chicken. Test the thickest pieces in more than one part of the pot. Wash hands, knives, and boards after they touch raw chicken.

Refrigerate the soup within 2 hours. Divide it among shallow containers instead of cooling the whole pot in the refrigerator. USDA FSIS says cooked leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in a refrigerator at 40 °F or below. Reheat soup to 165 °F and stir it so there are no cool pockets.

Ladle the finished soup into six bowls of about 550 ml each. Put any extra soup into shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Reheat each leftover portion to 165 °F before serving.

Questions

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes. Use the same raw weight of boneless, skinless thighs and cook every piece to 165 °F. Recalculate nutrition because thighs usually contain more fat than breast meat.

Why is the barley listed by dry weight?

Barley absorbs broth as it cooks. A 100 g dry database entry contains much more grain than a 100 g cooked entry, so using the dry weight prevents a large logging error.

Can I make the soup gluten-free with brown rice?

Yes, if the broth is also labeled gluten-free. Use 180 g dry quick-cooking brown rice and follow the alternate sequence above. Cook ordinary brown rice that needs more than 20 minutes separately. Make a new nutrition calculation from the dry rice and broth label.

What should I do if the soup thickens in the refrigerator?

Add a measured splash of water or broth while reheating. Water does not change the calorie estimate, while extra broth can change sodium and other label values.

Sources

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