Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup is a rich and creamy Instant Pot soup recipe that is so good I have eaten it almost every day since I made it. I just can't get enough of it.
I have been enjoying a big bowl of this chicken soup for lunch every day this past week. I live off of homemade soup during the week.
Soup freezes well and I always keep my freezer stocked with homemade soup.
The broth has a rich and delectable flavor from the vegetables and herbs cooking together with the chicken and broth.
Thyme and bay are two of the best herbs to add to homemade soups and stews.
If you like a thinner broth soup like Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup you can skip the step adding the corn starch.
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Soups are my favorite freezer meals. I make a big pot and divide it up into single serving food containers. I put them in the freezer and during the work week I will eat soup for lunch.
Since I started pressure cooking I have made homemade soup every couple of weeks.
It only takes about 30 minutes to pressure cook a big pot of homemade soup in the Instant Pot. Homemade soup is a nutritious lunch or dinner.
You can serve it for lunch or dinner. If you like to meal prep homemade soup is a great way to fill your freezer with ready made meals that you can pop in the microwave and enjoy a home cooked meal.
Equipment and tools
- 8-quart instant pot: I started out with a 6 quart but pretty much use my 8 quart for all my recipes.
- Wooden spoon: I love my wooden spoons and use them every day.
- Metal ladle. A long handled ladle makes it easy to serve soup right from the Instant Pot.
- Pot holders: You will need pot holders if you lift the inner pot out of the appliance when serving the soup.
- Sharp knife: always use a proper knife when prepping vegetables.
- Cutting mat: I use a cutting mat every single time I am slicing or dicing vegetables.
Easy way to thicken soup
If you love a rich creamy soup broth but think it is too hard to thicken all of your soups or stew recipes I have an easy trick I use to thicken broth.
If you have ever used flour to thicken anything you know how easy it is to end up with a bunch of gummy lumps floating around in your bowl.
Corn starch and water is the easiest way to thicken anything lump free. You can use this thickening method to thicken soups, stews and gravy.
It works like a charm and you will never see a lump.
Simply mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch (which is a gluten free) and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Mix it well until the corn starch completely dissolves.
Pour it into the soup and bring the soup to a simmer or boil to thicken. The liquid must be simmering or boiling hot for it to thicken the broth.
Prep
- Vegetables: slice the carrots and celery
- Dice: peel and dice one medium white onion
- Mince: If using fresh garlic cloves peel and mince the garlic
- Measure: measure the spices
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless white meat chicken but you can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Herbs: You can substitute fresh thyme, parsley or bay leaves in place of the dried herbs I used.
- Barely: Quick Pearled Barley is the recommended type of barley for this chicken soup recipe. It will cook in 10 or 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- ½ cup sliced celery
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 3 to 5 small or medium dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 64 oz chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup quick pearled barley
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Add the sliced carrots, celery, diced onion, and minced garlic.
- Add the dried thyme, ground pepper, sea salt and dried bay leaves.
- Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the valve is set to the sealing position. Press the manual button and set the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes.
- After the timer beeps alerting you that the pressure cooking has finished allow the steam to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then push the valve to the releasing position and wait for all of the steam to escape and the pressure pin to drop.
- Carefully twist the lid off away from your face.
- Use kitchen tongs to remove the hot cooked chicken from the pot and place it in a bowl. Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes. With a sharp knife cut the chicken into cubes.
- Pour the cubed chicken back into the soup.
- Pour the cup of pearled barley into the soup.
- Add the dried parsley to the soup.
- Pour the corn starch slurry into the soup and use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients.
- Press the Saute button and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer the soup until the broth has thickened. Once the broth has thickened press the off button to turn the appliance off.
- Twist the lid back on the Instant Pot. Push the valve to the sealed position to tray the heat. Allow the barley to cook from the heat of the soup in the enclosed Instant Pot, about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the lid and check to see if the barley is done. If not recover and wait another 5 to 10 minutes. If the barley is done serve the soup immediately.
- Makes 8 servings.
Serving Ideas
Serve the soup with crackers or bread. I love making homemade bread and enjoying a thick slice slathered with butter. This No Knead Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Bread would be perfect served with this soup recipe.
Instant Pot Soup Recipes
You can find many more easy Instant Pot Soup recipes on the Instant Pot Soup Recipe page.
Print the recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup
Equipment
- 8-Quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless chicken
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- ½ cup sliced celery
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 3 medium dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 64 oz. chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup quick pearled barley
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Add the sliced carrots, celery, diced onion, and minced garlic.
- Add the dried thyme, ground pepper, sea salt and dried bay leaves.
- Pour the chicken broth over the ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the valve is set to the sealing position.
- Press the manual button and set the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes.
- After the timer beeps alerting you that the pressure cooking has finished allow the steam to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then push the valve to the releasing position and wait for all of the steam to escape and the pressure pin to drop.
- Carefully twist the lid off away from your face.
- Use kitchen tongs to remove the hot cooked chicken from the pot and place it in a bowl.
- Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes. With a sharp knife cut the chicken into cubes.
- Pour the cubed chicken back into the soup.
- Pour the cup of pearled barley into the soup.
- Add the dried parsley to the soup.
- Pour the corn starch slurry into the soup and use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients.
- Press the Saute button and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer the soup until the broth has thickened. Once the broth has thickened press the off button to turn the appliance off.
- Twist the lid back on the Instant Pot. Push the valve to the sealed position to tray the heat. Allow the barley to cook from the heat of the soup in the enclosed Instant Pot, about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the lid and check to see if the barley is done. If not recover and wait another 5 to 10 minutes. If the barley is done serve the soup immediately.
- Makes 8 servings.
Helen
Sounds delicious. Can this be made in a 6 qt IP? What adjustments should I make? Thank you ?
Arlene Mobley
Hi Helen yes you can use the 6 quart IP just make sure you don't fill it past the full line. Enjoy!