For a healthy but filling meal try out this Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup with some crusty bread. It’s pressure cooked quickly but tastes as though it’s been simmering all day. This is a forgiving soup that allows you to use cooked chicken or turkey or raw chicken breasts or thighs.
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup
I’ve loved the slow cooker version of this particular soup recipe for years. It’s one of those soups that fills you up but doesn’t give you the guilt factor. No creams or flours or butters are used in this recipe (not that there’s anything wrong with that…but sometimes I just want to eat a little lighter).
I wanted to try the soup out in the Instant Pot since grains, like barley, and the Instant Pot are a perfect match. You can cook something that usually takes an hour or more on the stove top in just a few minutes in the pressure cooker. It worked out really well and it held nicely on warm for a few hours until everybody in my house had cycled through and eaten their dinner. If you’re in a snowstorm like me right try this Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup out for dinner tonight!
Some notes about the ingredients:
Tomatoes–I had a can of crushed tomatoes and wanted to try them out. This made the soup more of a tomato-y base instead of a chicken broth base, which I like. However, you can also use a can of petite diced tomatoes and have more of the chunks of tomatoes in the soup if you prefer it that way. (You can see the difference in how the soups look here).
Barley–I buy pearl barley (or pot barley) in the bulk section of the grocery store. Don’t use the quick cooking kind (par-boiled) for this particular recipe or the barley will be overcooked and mushy.
Chicken/Turkey–we made a turkey on Sunday and had leftovers so that’s what I used this time around. In the past I’ve used this seasoned shredded chicken and I’ve also used raw chicken breasts or thighs. It doesn’t really matter too much.
More healthy soup recipes…
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Rice Soup
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot chicken barley soup I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
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Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
For a healthy but filling meal try out this Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup with some crusty bread. It’s pressure cooked quickly but tastes as though it’s been simmering all day. This is a forgiving soup that allows you to use cooked chicken or turkey or raw chicken breasts or thighs.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or 3 1/2 cups water and 3 1/2 tsp better than bouillon chicken base*)
- 1 large carrot, diced or grated
- 3 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 2 cups cooked and shredded/cubed chicken or turkey OR 1 1/2 lbs uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to the saute function (more). When it says HOT on the display add in the oil. Add in the onion and saute for about 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add in the chicken broth and deglaze the pan.
- Add in the carrot, celery, tomato paste, basil, barley, chicken, tomatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual or pressure cook button to 18 minutes. When the cooking time has ended let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure by moving the valve to “venting.”
- Remove the lid. Discard the bay leaf. If you used uncooked chicken remove the chicken and shred or cut into pieces. Stir back in.
- Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
Tomatoes–I had a can of crushed tomatoes and wanted to try them out. This made the soup more of a tomato-y base instead of a chicken broth base, which I like. However, you can also use a can of petite diced tomatoes and have more of the chunks of tomatoes in the soup if you prefer it that way. (You can see the difference in how the soups look here).
Barley–I buy pearl barley (or pot barley) in the bulk section of the grocery store. Don’t use the quick cooking kind (par-boiled) for this particular recipe or the barley will be overcooked and mushy.
Chicken/Turkey–we made a turkey on Sunday and had leftovers so that’s what I used this time around. In the past I’ve used this seasoned shredded chicken and I’ve also used raw chicken breasts or thighs. It doesn’t really matter too much.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup serving
- Calories: 141
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Sodium: 657 mg
- Fat: 5 grams
- Carbohydrates: 17 grams
- Protein: 9 grams
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This is my favourite soup. I probably make it twice a month. Double the recipe. Others come and go, but I always come back to this one. I use spicy chili style tomatoes and some extra veggies. Lately I’ve been buying a rotisserie chicken and making my own broth because it’s so easy in the instant pot. Other times I will throw in frozen bone in thighs and/ or breasts to make the broth first. Excellent soup. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks Darby. I agree with your! This one is a keeper!
Delicious! A great way to use up leftover chicken or toss in a few breasts/thighs. This recipe easily accommodates additional vegetables such as 3/4 cup shredded cabbage added with the tomatoes and 1 cup finely diced kale stirred in after cooking (give it a few minutes to soften). The soup is good as is, but I also tried and liked some additions such as 1 Tbsp sherry and red pepper flakes to taste. Sometimes, I add extra stock. Thanks for a keeper recipe.
★★★★★
I like the idea of cabbage!
OMGSSSS This soup is so delicious to the last drop. Thank you thank you.
Thanks Pearl!
Could you use Farro instead of Barley?
Yes but I would only pressure cook for 7 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release
Another awesome recipe!! My hubby doesn’t like barley and ate 2 bowls!!! I didn’t add the tomato paste since I used crushed tomatoes. I also used raw chicken thighs and cooked at the recommended top. I shredded the chicken after using the EPC. Topped each bowl wire shredded parm. Yummo
Love that your husband doesn’t like barley and he still ate 2 bowls! That’s saying something 🙂
I’m trying to increase soluble fiber and want to replace the chicken with canned garbanzo or black beans. Should I add them at the end, after the soup has cooked? Thanks!
Oops, I couldn’t wait. I’m going to reply to myself and give the recipe a 5 star rating.. This is awesome. It’s great to have a go-to recipe that you can easily modify to add things for your diet or that are hanging out in your fridge. I made this recipe, leaving out the chicken, and adding beans at the end for soluble fiber. I added a bit of leftover already-cooked potato and carrots (in addition to the raw carrots that I added before pressure cooking). I added some red pepper flakes. Oh, at the end I added some cut up baby spinach, which easily wilts in the hot soup as soon as you do your release. This recipe is so versatile. I love it.
★★★★★
Sounds like a delicious version Susan!
Fabulous! Thanks!
★★★★★
You’re welcome!
Loved it! Thanks!
★★★★★
You’re welcome! I love this one too!
I have had my Instant Pot for several months now and honestly, I have not been particularly impressed with it. I don’t quite get the hype. The recipes I have made have only been so so. For the most part, the leftovers get thrown away. This soup was an exception – it was awesome! I made it for supper last night. I just finished having a bowl of leftovers for brunch, and hopefully I get to the rest before my husband does! Simple and yummy. I made it with two thawed skinless chicken breasts and would probably do it the same way again, just since it came out so well. My husband wants me to try making a beef version. Perhaps I will with stewing beef and substitute beef stock for the chicken.
★★★★★
Oh I like that idea about the beef! And I’m glad you finally found a recipe you like 🙂 Keep it up!
I wanted to use up some barley I found when cleaning out my pantry, and this recipe had the most positive votes, so I tried it! It was absolutely delicious!! I used chicken I had precooked and frozen, and I added it frozen to the soup. It tasted like I had slow cooked this all day!! It will definitely go into my soup rotation!!
★★★★★
Yum I love this one too! So glad you found it 🙂
I made this just as directed, except all I had was a can of Rotel tomatoes & chiles. It is delicious! My first time to have barley…loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Wow first time with barley! That’s great. I’m glad you liked it.
I can’t tell you how much my family loved this recipe–even my picky eaters who thought the carrots and celery would “ruin it.” lol (I could only find Quick Barley at the grocery, so I prepared it on the stove top and added it when I shredded the chicken.) The soup is filling and the flavors are amazing. I know this will be my “go to” recipe for taking meals to people or contributing to a community meal. This recipe is great!! I immediately shared it with my “Instant Pot” friends. 🙂
★★★★★
I love this one too. Like so much. I know it doesn’t seem exciting but it is so tasty!
Oh no! I am so upset. I went to the store specifically for pearled barley yesterday but neglected to read your admonition not to use the quick cooling variety. I got Quaker brand Quick barley.
I wonder if I took the time to cook the barley separately and add to the soup made in IP without the barley would that work better than adjusting the time?
Or would you think that using cooked chicken and cooking for less than 18 minute would work better?
I understand that you can’t guarantee any type of result, but I am curious to glean your thoughts from your vast experience… Thanks for any help
I think you have two options.
1. Cook on stove and add after soup has pressure cooked. You will want to reduce the liquid in the recipe if you do this since the barley won’t be soaking it up as it cooks. I would cut it down to 2 1/2 cups.
2. If using cooked chicken and the quick barley then I would say you’ll want a pretty short cooking time. Probably 3 minutes??? I really don’t know and couldn’t see anything on the internet when I searched.
Thanks I will try it out and see.
Much apprecaited feedback.
Okay let me know!
I cooked the barley separately and used barely defrosted chicken tenders. Adjusted liquid to 2.5 cups and NPR to 12 minutes and it was AWESOME!
Thanks for the advice!
★★★★★
Hooray! Glad it worked for you!
I just wanted to thank you for your website. It has taken me from an occasional and timid Instant Pot user to a much more confident and almost daily user of either a crock pot or Instant Pot. It has made my life of getting dinner to my large family much less stressful and I wanted to give my thanks. I have found all the recipes to be very tasty with good variety and they seem to all have stuff that I normally keep on hand which is a real plus to me. None of the ingredients are specialty or expensive but rather just good home cooking in a user friendly way. Thank you.
I’m glad it’s been helpful to you! Thanks for being here!
Excellent recipe. I adapted it a bit….since bacon is, according to my husband, a staple in our family I added some of that though I should have cooked it before the onions first. Instead of basil or bay I added Italian seasoning as I had it on hand and some adobo seasoning (just cuz I like it). My body doesn’t digest rice or beans (don’t know about barley this is a first) and I don’t want a lot of pasta so recipes that use other ingredients are what I look for. Just took my first few tastes and it is truly wonderful. Thank you.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Betty!
Hi Karen
Your recipes look delicious.
l am new to Instant Pot cooking and would love to try this recipe. Must I thaw the chicken breast(s) before putting them in the Pot.
Thanks kindly
Frances
You can put them in frozen. It’s the magic of the Instant Pot!
Hey Karen – this was my question as well. The cook time remains the same if I use Frozen chicken breasts??
Yes that’s right. I am using the longest common denominator time which is for the barley. So time remains the same. Haha! I don’t think that even makes sense. But basically yes use that time.
How would I adjust if I want to use uncooked chicken but only have quick barley? Thanks!
I’m unsure. I would be nervous that the barley would get too mushy.
This was great. Only things I did differently was to add a parmesan cheese rind.
and the celery leaves to the pot.
★★★★★
I added cheese tortellini and it was super yummy.
I love that idea!
Awesome soup. The only change I made was to add the cooked, shredded chicken after the pressure was released. The Parmesan really sends this over the top.
★★★★★
Could you make this recipe with uncooked turkey thighs? Would you have to adjust the cooking time? Thanks so much
Yes that would work. Keep the time the same.
Could this recipe be made, but using ground beef instead of chicken or turkey? If yes, would the measured amount of beef be the same as chicken/Turkey?
TIA – Michelle
Yes for sure and keep the amount the same.
For those with a mini I just made pretty much the same recipe only with half pound of hamburger and 1/2 cup less broth and it came out great. Can’t wait to make it with chicken now. I appreciate the advice using either raw or cooked chicken. I cook for one and often make soup with leftover meat. Now to check out if you have instant pot casserole recipes for leftover meat.
★★★★★
I love this recipe! But am wondering if you think I could sub quinoa for the barley.., or should wait till I get to the store? Would you change the cook time?
If you use quinoa it would be way overcooked. quinoa cooks very fast. You could put cooked chicken in and only pressure cook for 1 minute with a 10 minute NRP with quinoa and it would probably turn out great.
Yummy!! I will make it again!!!
★★★★★
Glad you liked it, Gaye!
We made this last week. It was sooooooooooooo yummy. I am new to the site and our pressure cooker (Fagor Lux 6-in-1), and I look forward to many more delicious recipes!
★★★★★
So happy to hear this Katherine!! We love this soup recipe too.
I just made this. I used chicken thighs. The flavor is so rich.
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed reading this post. big fan, thank you!
★★★★★