Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup
Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup is a wonderful combination of shredded chicken, onion, garlic, fresh lemon juice, barley, and a some baby spinach leaves for a perfect cozy, healthy dinner that’s entirely made in the slow cooker.
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Now that it’s officially one of my favorite times of year, “soup & candle weather”, a.k.a., fall, I have been in the kitchen making tons of new warm, comfort foods like this Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup.
It’s not only a cinch to make, it’s cozy, healthy, and satisfying too.
Do you ever cook like a contestant on Chopped with a basket of mystery ingredients?
I have to admit, I don’t do it as often as I would like. I am not one of those open-the-cupboards-and-create-a-masterpiece kinds of people (Hello, Becky!).
I’m a planner that thinks out the recipes I want to make in advance and then shops accordingly. So, I really impressed myself by having a Chopped moment and totally pulling it off! #Winning
My “Chopped” moment began with having three chicken breasts and a container of baby spinach that needed to get used up.
That + my friend gave me a bag of lemons from her mom’s lemon tree + the fact that I always have onions and garlic on hand = this amazing soup.
I’ve made lemon chicken soup with orzo and I’ve also tried it with rice and neither one felt substantial enough because the rice and orzo don’t have enough texture for me, so I decided to add pearled barley and voila, Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup was born.
Perfectly lemony with chunks of tender chicken and pearled barley throughout. Yes please. It’s healthy, delicious, comfort food.
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Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Chicken
- Onion
- Garlic
- Spinach
- Barley
- Chicken Broth
- Better than Bouillon
- Bay leaves
- Poultry seasoning
- Fresh lemon juice
- Water
- Salt, pepper
I love that this is a one-pot wonder. No searing meat or precooking anything. Just throw everything but the spinach in the slow cooker and cook for a couple hours.
How to serve Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve it, just toss in the spinach leaves and put the lid back on. The result is a comforting bowl of lemony, chicken soup deliciousness.
Now all you need is a loaf of French bread or some Texas toast and call it a day.
How long is this chicken soup good for?
After you have let the soup cool, store it in an air-tight container and use with 3-4 days.
Looking for more soup recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Kale
- Italian Chickpea Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Sausage Chickpea Soup (shown below)
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This just means I earn a small commission if you shop through my link. Thank you!
NOTES:
- My soup secret weapon is Better than Bouillon. I don’t make soup without it! Their Roasted Chicken flavor was used in this recipe and it was dynamite! You can get some from HERE from Amazon.
- Please only use real lemon juice from fresh lemons. The store-bought, squeezable plastic lemons contain additives and do not taste the same.
Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup
Equipment
- 5-quart or larger slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1-2 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1/2 cup pearled barley uncooked
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken flavor
- Juice of 1-2 lemons
- 2 cups water
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Add chicken to a slow cooker and top with onion, garlic, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, barley, and chicken broth. In a bowl, whisk together the water, lemon juice and Better than Bouillon until the bouillon paste is incorporated, then pour it over everything in the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, shred the chicken and add the spinach to the slow cooker. Taste for salt & pepper and if you want more lemon flavor, add more lemon juice. Keep on "warm" for about 20-30 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
I also have a fun Facebook group for us foodies to share recipes and talk about food. I’d love to have you! Request to join HERE. Cheers!
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This just means I earn a small commission if you shop through my link. Thank you!
