This soup is hearty and has great flavor. I like barley in soups instead of rice and this is a great use of barley.
This was terrific. Very easy and quick. I added more garlic, carrot, celery, and browned my chicken. I also used pearl barley and cooked it for a while in chicken stock prior to adding. I did not add butter. Served this for our Soup Group and got rave reviews. I will definitely make this again!
Read MoreI thought the flavor of the soup was bland. It definitely needs spicing up.
Read MoreThis was terrific. Very easy and quick. I added more garlic, carrot, celery, and browned my chicken. I also used pearl barley and cooked it for a while in chicken stock prior to adding. I did not add butter. Served this for our Soup Group and got rave reviews. I will definitely make this again!
I would give this 10 stars if I could. This was very tasty. I did not have mushrooms or celery in the house so I left those out and I threw in about a tsp of kosher salt with the parsley.
I absolutely adore this soup. I usually double or even triple the recipe. In the winter, I usually add a little shredded cheese. I also make it without chicken and use vegetable stock for lunches in the summer, so we can have a healthy dose of our veggies. It's an unexpected combination (the almonds with the veggies and barley) that is delicious and leaves you very satisfied.
The complex flavors are amazing. This is a new favorite in our home. My wife and I LOVED it. I doubled the recipe & substituted spinach for parsley. I toasted the almonds on the stove in a skillet (faster, just gotta keep a good eye on em) i used homemade chicken stock. added a zucchini halved and sliced into the pot near the end. For mushrooms: white button, portabella, and shitake. I've never had a homemade soup taste this good. and the almonds ... i would never had expected such a layer of flavor. they really do go perfectly in this dish.
I LOVE this soup! I've made it several times. It's my favorite new mama dinner gift-barley is great for milk supply and with the chicken and veggies it's a super nutritious soup. I do use pearl barley added with the broth and cook it until done, about 40 minutes. I've also substituted chopped fresh spinach for the parsley.
Very yummy. I used lentils instead of barley (only because I had it on hand). This was an easy, filling meal. Perfect for cold nights, and even yummy reheated the next day for lunch. I will definitely make this again!
This is a good basic recipe. You can spice it up and dress it up however you like. I pressured cooked the chicken breasts and used my favorite chicken soup spices, sage, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, etc. I used regular barley instead of quick cooking because I like the firmer texture. I had never put almonds in a soup before so I was anxious to try it. They were ok but didn't have a "wow" factor so I won't add them again. I also had parsnips and lentils on hand so I put those in as well. It turned out to be a hearty comfort soup. I will continue to keep making variations of this recipe. So because of my personal preference I am giving this a 3.5 star rating. Go ahead and alter it to your tastes and ideas. Others love it exactly the way it is written but the possibilities are limiitless.
I made it last night (40 degree outside) and it was a great comforting soup for a cold night. I did browned my chicken together with the onion and garlic. Otherwise, I pretty much follow everything in the recipe.
This is very warm and comforting. If you like mildly seasoned food then you will like this recipe. It reminds me of a homemade chicken noodle soup.
Very good soup! I added two small cans of V8 and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing.
i just made this and it came out perfect! made a few changes since the recipe looked bland (and some reviews backed that up)...while cooking the onions, celery and garlic- i seasoned them with dry cilantro, oregano, basil, sea salt and black pepper...i doubled the barley as someone else recommended and only used 2 qts of chicken broth + 1 can of cream of chicken campbells soup and a can of water. hope this helps!
I made some changes to this recipe...cut down on the potatoes, added red and orange bell peppers, used fresh basil and cilantro instead of parsley, and left out the butter. The result was delicious!
Made this just as directed except I used pearl barley since that is what we had. Cooked the barley separately and added it. An extra step, but worth it. I love the flavors and textures in this soup. I shredded the chicken, which I prefer over diced. Also, sadly, I forgot to add the almonds. Didn't even remember to toast them. It was still delicious. My 16 month and (almost) 3 year old loved this as well as my husband and me. A nice change from the regular chicken noodle, however yummy that is. Just a note on portions - this is quite filling. I halved it and we have enough to eat it for dinner again tomorrow night (but likely we'll have it for lunch tomorrow). So, easily a healthy 6 servings halved. I can't imagine the amount you'd make if it was the full 12 servings. Thanks for recipe! It's been sitting in my recipe box for a while now and finally got around to trying it.
I made this exactly as written. It smelled so good while cooking I couldn't wait to try it. Very good, will make again. Not sure if you really need the butter and as much olive oil (doing Weight Watchers) may try less next time and adding a bit of tyme maybe. Anyone doing WW's - makes 15 cups at 5 pts per cup as written.
I really liked the soup. Thought the potatoes were out of place though. Next time I will make this minus the potatoes (less carbs anyway). I didn't put in the almonds, maybe next time I will try. I always add more spices when I cook as I do like things with more flavor add a bit of a kick.
I added extra celery and carrots and replaced some liquid with a bottle of pinot grigio. Quite tasty. Also, I used pearled barley and cooked it in chicken broth and dried basil.
I used leftovers from a store-bought roast chicken - bones to make the stock & the remainder of the chicken for the soup. This is a nice change from regular chicken noodle or vege soup. A hearty chicken soup.
I followed another reviewers lead and added parmesan when I served it. Yummy! I think next time I'll add some white wine at some point to the recipe. I would call this a refrigerator door recipe. It was a nice way to use up any veggies that were about to go bad.
This was great! I skipped the potatos and added cabbage instead. I also added 1 bay leaf for a bit more flavor. Next time I will add a few more spices just for our personal preference.
I just finished making this soup and I think it's great! I used no-sodium chicken broth so had to add a bit more salt. I also sprinkled dried rosemary and sea salt to the chicken and baked it before adding to the soup, gave it a nice flavour. I LOVE the toasted almonds, it's so different and is really crunchy. I used flat Italian parsley, and added a small zucchini and some kale along with the other vegetables. I will definitely make this again but will try with a homemade chicken stock rather than store bought and probably won't add butter as I don't think it altered the flavour or texture at all. Really great on a cold night!
It is a delicious soup. I wish I had not followed some tips, though, in how much barley to add. Since I didn't add potatoes, I decided to double the barley. It was way too much and I had to add another quart of chicken stock so that there was soup in with the barley. Rather than adding the chicken called for, I used the 'carcass' of a rotisserie chicken. The flavoring used on the chicken really added to the soup. I find there is so much hidden meat on those chickens that I hate to just throw the bones away.
very good. You don't need seasonings except salt. I used kale instead of carrots and added dumplings too, after blending half of it. It really is like a chicken noodle soup, but barley instead.
Very delicious soup! The toasted slivered almonds are an amazing touch. My dad had 4 bowls, and he's not what I would call a fan of healthy food. He requested more barley and less potatoes. Like most people, I made my own adjustments. I hate mushrooms, so they didn't make the cut. Also, I used half no salt added chicken stock and half no salt vegetable stock. Next time, I will add some fresh herbs during cooking to compensate for the lack of salt. Still a 5-star recipe because I know that my alterations changed the outcome of the recipe. This is a keeper! Truly a wonderful, hearty (and healthy!) soup perfect for a chilly night.
I altered this recipe to suit my taste. I eliminated the almonds, mushrooms and butter. Added 1 more onion and Adobo seasoning. Throwing all this in to the crockpot made it even better.
I didn't have mushrooms or barley, so I substituted small noodles. Everything else I followed exactly, and it was delicious! The toasted almonds seemed strange, but they were fantastic.
Unfortunately I didn't have the mushrooms or slivered almonds, but otherwise I followed the recipe completely and loved it! Great recipe. Definitely a keeper!
Delicious soup!!! We loved it. I doubled the barley and carrots.........mmmmmmmmmmmm!
great subtle flavors and stick to my ribs hearty. It is one of my winter favorites.
aThis soup is amazing. The first time I made it I tried adding the almonds, but I over cooked them in the Oven. So the second time, I did not think twice about the almonds because it came out wonderfully. I did not change much of the ingredients. I seasoned my chicken with some kosher salt and black pepper and boiled my chicken in about 5 cups of water 1 and 3/4 cups of broth. The only other change is that I cooked my onions in some hot peppers as I like spicy food. Enjoy!!
Ok. Not sure what was off for me. I do know that 1/2 cup instead of 1 whole cup of the slivered almonds is plenty. And if you don't have any, or are hesitant to add them, don't.
I don't know why I never thought to add toasted nuts to a soup before. It added a nice flavor and texture to the soup. Very easy recipe to pull together. I used olive oil instead of butter and doubled the barley.
This was very good! Even my husband liked it, who doesn't really care for soups.
This is a wonderful hearty soup. The roasted slivered almonds are a nice touch and add lots to this recipe!
This turned out really good. I didn't add potatoes almonds or parsley. instead added frozen squash, majoram, fresh spinach, and basil. Will def. make again.
very good soup! however, after the potatoes, the barley really feels superfluous. still, love the fresh parsley added at the end.
I make this every two weeks for my family for our lunches. It's an amazing recipe! I did a few different hyings. I added a half a handful of Orzo, a handful of Wildrice and a Lentil/Wild rice mixture, and a cup of Pearl Barley, and let it all simmer in the stock pot for a while. I also omitted the potatoes and and almonds, as we don't prefer either. I love to let the flavors infuse with one another! Of course if you add more rice or whatever you prefer, you do need to increase the liquid portion so you don't have all hearty and no broth! I strongly recommend using homemade chicken stock if possible. I absolutely Love his recipe!!!
excellent soup!! my family loved it. all 3 of my kids devoured this!! I didn't change a thing!
Enjoyable. If you like a healthy mild, safe soup this is for you. My family liked it.
This soup is amazing. The complexity of the flavors is a real treat and this dish is so filling. I will definitely be making this again and again. Thanks for sharing!!
This recipe was very easy to make and add to as well. I added grean beans and chopped green pea pods, as well as some seasoning salt, thyme, dried basil & sage.I also had to use regular dried barley since that's all I had, & I just cooked it a bit longer. My hubby loved it, which is nice for a change 'cause he's a picky eater. I think I will keep this in my reportois for the next time I need an easy fix. :)
Just made this great dish for lunch to use up some barley I had in the pantry. I substituted butternut squash for the mushrooms, added some spices (oregano, thyme, and basil), and just threw it together without measuring. Turned out to be a perfect meal for a cold snowy day.
I'm a huge barley fan and I was looking for a healthy get-well soup and this fit the bill perfectly. Thank you!!
The whole family enjoyed this one. I left out the almonds because of a nut allergy in the family.
This soup is sensational. Brought it to work to warm some sickly souls, and I got nothing but raves from the doctors and nurses i work with. What was particularly neat about the soup, is when you eat it the next day, the flavor of the silvered almonds comes through and all the flavors are perfectly married together. I will warn though, those almonds with burn at the drop of napkin, so do be careful when browning them!
This recipe is a great start for a hearty winter soup. I used white wine & herb chicken broth for a bit more flavor. Didn't use any butter, but when serving covered top with fresh baby spinach and sprinkled the almonds on top. The spinach cooks when stirred into the soup. Additions make it a 5 star recipe.
A good basic chicken veg barley soup, but I did it a little different - I added shredded cabbage cuz I love cabbage, and a tin of tomatoes. I did not use butter, but added some coffee cream instead (10%) which made it into a "cream of..." soup. Instead of adding barley, you could add quinoa and instead of adding any grain, you could use a hand wand-type blender to puree 1/3 of the soup to thicken it up. I used home made chicken stock to which I added a whole red chilli during the stock making process so my soup had a little more oomph. My spice choices were fresh rosemary, parsley, basil, sage, bay leaf, garlic. Avoided the almonds as they add calories and would get soft in a liquid based dish (i thought). Ate with crusty bagette and some real buddah (my vice). Also added spinach and left over home made french fries chopped up (cooked in the chicken fat off the soup stock - nothing gets wasted in my house). Ok no more brackets and thanks for sharing the recipe LEENEMS! PS: it gets better the next day
This recipe kept my proportions in check & was a good mix; however, it really needed seasonings. I suited to my tastes & love the potato & barley choice. Thanks for the recipe!
Very good and very filling. I thought it might be bland so added a bit more seasoning. Will be making again.
This is a family favorite for us. It is healthy and the crutch of the almonds adds so much.
We leave out the mushrooms and almonds and let the soup get really thick. It's great with some warm bread. It's equally wonderful the next day.
I made it exactly as recipe and I loved it. I will change it up next time as many reviews did. Looking forward to having this soup over the winter. Excellent
This recipe was kind of bland so I had to add some herbs. It is a good basic recipe that you can edit to suit yourself so I gave it three stars.
Made this a couple times now. Don't have mushrooms or celery (don't like them), but added more carrots and potatoes to compensate. Also added more garlic. Good base recipe that can be tweaked to your liking. I add garlic and onion powders, as well as some Italian Seasoning to round it off. Haven't tried it with the almonds yet, but I'm sure it's great!
even my husband loved it! the only change i made was no mushrooms (i had none), compensated for that by adding a little extra potatoes & carrots. then i had to add extra broth (i used my own homemade, simmer-all-day broth). i served it with grated parmeson.
great hearty soup that is a nice option to Beef. I did add a few more spices that some suggested and it was was great.
Great comfort soup!! Followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the silvered almonds, forgot to buy them and I don't think that mattered because everyone loved the soup. I did have to add extra broth the next day because the barley soaked up the liquid but it still tasted great.
I made a batch of this soup last night and was it ever wonderful! The toasted almonds were an especially interesting, crunchy addition. Great flavor and very hearty, stick to the ribs fare. Highly recommend it for a cold winter evening.
The parsley seemed like a little bit much so I only put about 1/2 of the amount in... Loved it.
I left out the mushrooms and added more veggies and barley making it more of a stew than a soup. It's great. The almonds give it a wonderful crunch and depth of flavor.
Don't waste energy with the oven. Toast the almonds with a fry pan and a tiny bit of olive oil or butter. Just shake and stir on medium a few minutes. I browned my chicken for flavor, added one zucchini for color and nutrition, and doubled the barley, using pearl barley. It takes longer, so I cooked it separately, starting earlier. I added a little thyme as well. Love, love, loved it!
I loved this recipe - it made for a nice belly warmer. Unfortunately, I don't think it freezes so well, due to the barley.
I'm surprised this gets such rave reviews. To me it's lacking something. A good dash of black pepper gives it some flavor!
Absolutely amazing soup! I left out the mushrooms and garlic and used white potatoes instead, but that didn't make much difference. I also added pine nuts to the almonds and followed some suggestions to toast them-gave the entire soup a little bit of a smoky, charbroiled flavor-in a good way! Made way too much and froze the leftovers-just finished it about 4 months later, so it keeps very well-just throw in a little (or a lot) sour cream when serving and this is a 5 star soup any day!
I made and served this today. However, I substituted the chicken with turkey breast and the quick cook barley (because I couldn't find any) with Kasmati rice. Plus I added a bit more garlic and used the lower salt variety of chicken broth. It was DELICIOUS and filling!! And since I made enough for at least 3 more meals, my hubby and I will be able to enjoy the soup again within the week.
Absolutely loved this soup. It's going to become a staple in my house. It even turned my barley-hating husband around; he actually enjoyed the barley :)
Very hearty and great flavor. I only used 1 tbl of butter, used canned mushrooms vs fresh and pearled barley instead of quick cooking barley. Also added 1 tbl of dried thyme to give it a little more depth.
Seriously one of my all time favorite soup recipes— and I love soup!! The toasted almonds in there are the best. Freezes well, too.
This is excellent! I left out the almonds because I actually was making it for my elderly parents..86 and 90 years old........we all loved it. I had a lil bit too much garlic in it so I added spinach and it was great!
I made some changes like omitting the Almonds, potatoes and mushrooms. Added more carrots and a little poultry seasoning.. Tasted wonderful.
The mushrooms make a nice change. I didn't bother with the almonds. I also made half the quantity using my chicken broth from the previous day's roast chicken.
Very good and filling. Makes a lot and is perfect for leftovers or freezing. Does taste a lot like chicken noodle soup.
This was a good soup, but it needed some help in the seasoning department. It was a little bland as written. Just add a few of your favourite spices and you'll be all set. I would suggest making sure you don't leave out the almonds, they added an original flavour to the soup.
This is my favorite chicken soup recipe...I made this exact recipe for my grandmother and she LOVED it so much! It is perfect as is, but in other variations when I've run out of chicken broth, I used beef bouillon cubes or beef broth to supplement and it was great! Enjoy :D
This is yummy and healthy. I did not use almonds because my children are allergic. My son asks often asks me to make this. I made this again but this time I used the barley which has no taste so I'm not sure if it is worth adding.
This is delicious and just a little bit different with potatoes and barley plus the almonds. Looking forward to the leftovers.
Actually, I would give it three and a half stars. I thought it was really bland, but my husband enjoyed the soup, especially the barley. It is definitely a simple mild recipe.
This soup was a very good base. It definitely needed some more spices. I added some oregano, basil, and parsley flakes along with the sea salt and pepper. I also used turbetti pasta shells instead of barley and left out the butter. I also added parmesan cheese just before serving.
I tweaked this quite a bit, so I can't say how it would have tasted without the tweaking, but it was an excellent base for my cooking style!! (With soup, I love to make it my own and use what is on hand.) --- I browned some diced bacon in the pot, removed the bacon bits and all but 1-2 T. bacon grease. Then, added diced uncooked chicken and sauteed. Added onion, garlic and celery to cook for 10 min. Then added remaining ingredients using medium barley, and 1 diced parsnip, 1 can diced tomatoes, some dried marjoram, thyme and black pepper. Garnished with parsley and bacon bits. YUMMY!!!
Absolutely delicious! I made this several times during the cold winter months.
I found this recipe to be a little bland so I added some crushed red pepper, oregano and thyme which helped a lot. I also added spinach instead of the parsley. It’s a good, hearty soup on a cold winter day
