There are few things in life more comforting than chicken soup and while I’m always a fan of classic chicken noodle or cream of chicken varieties, this Chicken & Barley Soup is a worthy alternative!
The beauty of Chicken & Barley Soup is that it all cooks together in one large pot. A whole chicken steeped in chicken stock and vermouth creating a more flavourful broth as it cooks with carrots. The barley is added in a bit later and the result is a flavoursome soup with a whole chicken right in the middle. It’s delightful!
Chicken & Barley Soup is cozy comfort food at its finest and it works beautifully whether you’re making it for yourself and enjoying the leftovers for days to come or putting this on a dinner table for guests. Serve it with a hunk of crusty bread or some buttered Irish soda bread toast and it’s a meal you’ll want to repeat time and again. Let’s get started!
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium whole chicken, about 1.6kg in weight
- Salt & pepper
- 150ml dry white vermouth
- 2 large carrots, peeled & diced
- 1.5 litres chicken stock
- 250g pearl barley
- Finely chopped flat leaf parsley to serve
Method
- In a large heavy casserole that has a lid heat the olive oil over medium or medium-high heat. Add the chicken, breast side down and brown the whole chicken on all sides as much as possible without destroying the skin. I find it useful to use a set of large tongs and a wooden spoon to flip and hold the whole chicken which is a bit awkward, but it’s worth the effort. When the whole chicken is browned leave it turned breast side up and season with salt & pepper.
- Pour in the vermouth and let it bubble away for a few minutes before adding the chicken stock and diced carrots. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and pop on the lid. Cook for 45 minutes.
- When the 45 minutes is up, it’s time to add the barley. Pour it in around the chicken. Try to get it all in the spaces around the bird so it’s in the liquid. Pop the lid back on and cook for a further 45 minutes.
- To serve you will need bowls or wide pasta bowls. Start by serving some chicken into each bowl and then ladle in some broth with the carrots and pearl barley. Finish with a generous crack of black pepper and sprinkle over some finely chopped parsley.
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