Soothing Turmeric Chicken With Pearl Barley (Print Version)

Golden chicken and barley soup with warming turmeric and vegetables for ultimate comfort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), diced

→ Grains

02 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 small zucchini, diced
08 - 3.5 oz baby spinach leaves

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Finish

17 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
18 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# How To Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, then sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned on all sides, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and add pearl barley and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 35 minutes.
05 - Add zucchini and continue simmering for 10 minutes until barley is tender and chicken is cooked through.
06 - Stir in spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and lemon juice. Remove bay leaf.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes like health—turmeric and cumin do their thing without tasting preachy or medicinal.
  • Pearl barley gives it this subtle, nutty substance that makes it feel more like a meal than a broth.
  • You can have it on the table in just over an hour, and your whole kitchen will smell incredible the entire time.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the barley—I learned this the expensive way by serving a gluey, starchy soup to guests and pretending it was intentional.
  • Add the zucchini late in cooking; if it simmers for the full 45 minutes with the broth, it dissolves into the background instead of staying present and textured.
  • Taste for salt at the end rather than at the beginning—the broth concentrates as it simmers, so adding it too early makes the finished soup oversalted.
03 -
  • If you're making this for someone who needs it most, prepare the vegetables the night before and store them in containers—you'll be able to throw it together in minutes when you need it most.
  • Low-sodium broth is non-negotiable here because you're seasoning everything yourself; regular broth will turn the soup salty before you're done cooking.
  • The magic happens in those 35 minutes of gentle simmering—don't rush it by turning up the heat, because fast boiling can make the chicken tough and the broth cloudy.
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