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Instant Pot Chicken Barley Soup

An all-organic healthy soup for the whole family. It's especially great for nursing moms.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword soup, lactogenic, milk supply, winter recipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Quick release at 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken drumsticks organic
  • 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 stalks celery chopped, 1/2 " pieces
  • 6 medium carrots chopped, 1/2" pieces
  • 2 medium yellow potatoes peeled, cubed 1" pieces
  • 1 cup whole barley rinsed
  • 1 liter chicken broth low sodium
  • 1 liter water filtered
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary chopped, dry
  • 1 tsp Celtic sea salt, coarse or season to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper ground
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Set your 6 quart instant pot on the sauté function. When the pot is hot, add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. 
  • Add the chopped onions, garlic, and dried rosemary. Sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent.
  • Add the barley, and continue stir-frying for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the chopped celery, and continue sautéing until fragrant (about 3 minutes).
  • Add the chopped carrots, and continue sautéing to release the carrot oil (about 3 minutes).
  • Add the chicken broth (1 liter), potatoes, and celtic sea salt. Mix the entire pot of ingredients evenly.
  • Then submerge the drumsticks into the broth, and add the water (Add 500 ml at a time. If the water looks like it will go past the maximum line, stop where the line is.)
  • Press the "cancel" button to reset the Instant Pot. Close the lid. (Make sure the valve is set to pressure setting.)
  • Press the "Soup/Broth" button, and set the time to 6 minutes. (It will take about 20 minutes for contents to come up to pressure.)
  • When the pressure cooking stage is complete, let contents sit for another 14 minutes before doing a "Quick Release" on the valve.
  • Once the float is down, open the lid, remove the chicken drumsticks, and separate the meat from the bones. Discard the skin, bones, and add the chicken meat back into the soup. Mix well. 
  • Add any final seasoning touches before serving. Scoop soup up into bowls, and finish with freshly chopped parsley.

Notes

LOW SODIUM DIET
Different brands of salt have different saltiness levels and therefore varies in measurements. For low sodium, use 1/2 tsp of celtic sea salt instead of 1. Ready-to-use broths can also vary in saltiness levels from one brand to another, so it is always best to go conservative on the salt, and season at the end to personal preference and taste.
FLAVOR VARIATION
To switch up the flavors, you can substitute the rosemary with thyme, or a soup blend of herbs that work well with chicken, like Bragg Organic Sprinkle Seasoning. Dry herbs can be substituted with fresh herbs of the same variety. Substitute fresh parsley with fresh cilantro/coriander leaves for a different taste.