6 INGREDIENT Chicken Barley Soup {VIDEO} - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

Why does barley thicken soup? ›

Barley holds a good amount of starch, which will release into the soup when it's cooked. That starch will help thicken the broth to leave you with a deliciously thick, creamy soup.

Bring to a boil over high heat and lower to a simmer. Cook until barley is tender yet chewy, about 25–30 minutes for pearl barley, 40–50 for hulled barley. Add a little more water if the pan dries out. Drain barley if needed, and fluff with a fork.

There is no need to rinse barley before using it. To enhance the flavor of barley, heat the kernels in a skillet for a few minutes or cook it in broth instead of water. You can save time by cooking extra barley and freezing it.

Pearl barley does not need to be soaked prior to cooking because it cooks quickly. Hulled barley benefits from soaking in water for a few hours before cooking. However, you should still budget more time for the hulled grain to cook (about 35 to 40 minutes).

First, is barley better for you than rice? Barley and brown rice both have their benefits. If you're avoiding gluten, then brown rice should be your go-to, because barley has gluten. When it comes to folate and vitamin E, brown rice wins; but barley takes the trophy for fiber (it has much, much more) and calcium.

Scoring low on the glycemic index and having a high beta-glucan level make barley good for diabetes. Further, magnesium in barley helps control sugar levels, especially in type 2 diabetes. Barley also has a good amount of protein and other nutrients like zinc, calcium, and potassium.

Overcooked barley will become mushy, while undercooked may have a thicker and chewier texture. You can make barley as a side dish, but you can also cook it into your food. Feel free to cook our pearled barley in your favorite soup or stew, but be mindful that it will absorb a lot of liquid.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.

Is barley a thickening agent? ›

Barley helps thicken broths and stews. It is also the grain that's dear to the hearts of those who love beer. Barley is used to make malt, a basic ingredient in making beer.

As barley is a starch the best you can do is dilute it, or thin it out a bit. You may need to add a fair bit of broth and more of your vegetal ingredients. Possibly to the point of doubling your recipe. It will depend on when you find the taste and texture to have gotten back to acceptable levels.

Barley is a short, chewy grain that is great in soups, stews, salads, pilafs, and more.

In Soups and Stews

Keep in mind that barley, whether pearled or hulled, absorbs roughly three times its measured amount of liquid, so 1 cup of barley would require 3 cups of broth to cook properly. Because of this, you may need to adjust the brothiness of your soup or stew depending on how much barley you want to add.