This chicken, barley, and lentil soup is the ultimate nourishing, slow-simmered meal to make when you have a bit of extra time in the kitchen. While it takes about an hour to come together, every spoonful delivers a rich, restorative flavour that makes it well worth the wait. It’s perfect for meal prep on a chilly weekend or whenever you need a cozy, gut-friendly comfort dish.
As a dietitian, I love combining pearl barley and lentils. Barley supplies soluble beta-glucan fiber for heart and metabolic health, while brown lentils add an extra boost of plant-based iron and protein. Finished with a fresh handful of iron-rich baby spinach, this one-pot soup is a complete, satisfying meal prep essential.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil
2 brown onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup (220g) pearl barley
1.5L chicken stock
1 cup French green (puy) lentils
6 dried bay leaves
20 sprigs fresh thyme
4 chicken thigh fillets, sliced
2 handfuls baby spinach
Instructions:
Sear the chicken until browned all over for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
Place oil, onions and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Season with pepper and cook until soft and starting to colour, about 20mins.
Add barley and stock, bring to a simmer and cook a further 10mins.
Add lentils, bay leaves and thyme; cook a further 20mins or until lentils and barley are tender.
Add chicken and season with salt. Cook a further 5mins or until chicken is just cooked through.
To serve, warm soup over medium heat, add spinach and cook until just wilted.
Place leftover soup in small zip-lock bags or containers and freeze – the single serves are convenient for work lunches or a quick dinner. Add extra spinach just before serving.
Amelia is a university qualified Dietitian registered in both Australia and the UK. If you’re ready to get personalised dietetic support, you can book a consultation. Take a look at our other pages, to find more delicious recipes and you can read our blogs here.
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