Hearty Chicken Soup with Pearl Barley and Kale Recipe
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Hearty Chicken Soup with Pearl Barley and Kale Recipe
Updated November 2025
There’s nothing like a warm, hearty bowl of chicken soup to soothe your soul and satisfy your hunger. Our Hearty Chicken Soup with Pearl Barley and Kale is packed with wholesome ingredients like tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and nutrient-rich kale, all simmered in our Farm Boy™ Organic Low Sodium Broth. Perfect for cozy family dinners or meal prep, this comforting recipe is as nourishing as it is delicious. Pair it with Farm Boy™ Dinner Rolls for the ultimate comfort food experience. Discover how easy it is to make a hearty, homemade chicken soup that will warm you up any day of the week!
Chef tips:
- Optional add-ins or substitutes are rutabaga or potatoes.
- To make this soup vegan, omit the chicken, use vegetable broth instead and add 2 cups of diced potatoes, butternut squash or rutabaga.
- For a hit of heat, serve with a bit of your favourite hot sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup red or white onion diced
- 1 cup (2-3 stalks) diced celery
- 1 ½ cups (2 medium) carrots diced and peeled
- 1 ½ cups (3 medium) parsnips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 227 g cremini mushrooms quartered
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 packs Farm Boy™ Organic Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- ½ cup Farm Boy™ Pearl Barley rinsed
- 2 (500 g) boneless, skinless breasts
- 4 cups kale torn into bite sized pieces
- 1 large lime juiced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup Farm Boy™ Organic Plain Greek Yogurt for garnish (optional)
- Farm Boy™ Brioche Pull Apart Rolls
- salted butter
Directions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, parsnips ,and ½ tsp salt. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add Farm Boy™ Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Farm Boy™ Pearl Barley, and chicken breasts and bring to a slow boil. Reduce temperature to a simmer, cover and cook until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken and when cool enough to handle, shred and return to the pot along with the kale.
- Simmer soup, partially covered, until barley is tender, about 15-20 minutes longer.
- Add lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- Serve with a dollop of Farm Boy™ Organic Plain Greek Yogurt and Farm Boy™ Brioche Pull Apart Rolls.