We here at the Nerdly Home have been hit by one heck of a cold. As a result, posts have been delayed, and a large pot of chicken barley corn soup has been made. One of the fantastic things about this soup is that it can be easily adjusted to your personal tastes. Want more vegetables? Add them. Want to use left over chicken? Go ahead. As a result, I won’t really put amounts on things unless they matter.
Chicken Barley Corn Soup
- 1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (can be leftovers)
- garlic, minced
- onion, finely diced
- celery, finely diced
- carrots, finely diced
- 64oz (2 boxes) chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2c pearled barley
- 1 can creamed corn
- 1 bag frozen sweet corn
- 1/2tsp-ish cumin
- 1/2tsp-ish coriander
1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat a glug of olive oil. Add garlic. If using leftover chicken, skip this step. Add raw chicken until thoroughly cooked. I like to add some of the cumin and coriander at this point to help give the chicken some extra flavor, along with a bit of salt and pepper. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pot and set aside.
2. Add a bit more olive oil if necessary and add the onion, celery, and carrots. Add a small pinch of salt to help sweat the onions. Cook until softened, about 5 – 10 minutes.
3. Add the cooked chicken and the rest of the ingredients back to the pot and bring just to the boil.
4. Lower the heat and simmer until the barley is cooked, about 30-45 minutes.
I find this soup is really fantastic with a nice warm piece of buttered Italian bread. The soup can be made in large batches and is great for keeping in the freezer.