Hearty Turkey and Barley Soup Recipe

Turkey and barley soup is an excellent way to use up that left over holiday turkey! This hearty and flavorful soup is perfect for those cold winter nights, when a warm bowl of soup makes the perfect dinner.

A large serving bowl filled with turkey and barley soup on a wooden table.

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I love recipes that help me use up leftovers in a new way. This delicious and comforting turkey soup with barley is hearty and flavorful enough for a full meal!

Ingredients

Most of these ingredients are pantry friendly or items I usually have on hand making this convenient and easy.

Olive Oil – Be sure to use a good quality olive oil.

Onion – I always have yellow onions on hand and that’s what works best in this soup.

Carrots – Adding extra veggies makes the leftover turkey stretch and what soup doesn’t have lots of colorful healthy veggies!

Celery – Again a necessity in almost any soup recipe!

Yellow Bell Pepper – While the yellow adds a nice pop of color, feel free to use whatever color bell pepper you’ve got hanging out in the fridge.

Seasonings – This turkey and barley soup has a variety of seasonings including minced garlic, dried oregano, paprika, dried thyme, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Turkey with pearl barley soup ingredients including leftover turkey, seasonings, vegetables and tomato sauce.

Chicken Broth – I love using homemade chicken broth to make my chicken noodle soup but store bought chicken broth is perfectly fine!

Tomato Sauce – This will help make a rich and delicious soup!

Leftover Turkey – Grab some of that leftover holiday turkey and shred it!

Baby Spinach – I love sneaking spinach into soup recipes like in my sausage and lentil soup! It’s a great way to get the kids to eat it!

Pearly Barley – Pearl Barley adds a heartiness to the soup!

Parmesan Cheese – This is for serving and will add just the perfect accent to the turkey and barley soup!

Hearty Turkey and Barley Soup Recipe

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How to Make Turkey and Barley Soup

This soup takes a bit of time to cook but most of the time is hands off as you let it simmer away filling the house with a warm and comforting aroma.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, bell, pepper, and garlic to the olive oil once heated and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly soft or around 3-4 minutes.

A large soup pot filled with the vegetables for turkey and pearl barley soup.

Once the veggies are slightly softened, add the oregano, paprika, thyme, and Italian seasoning. Continue cooking until the spices are fragrant or about 1-2 minutes.

A large soup pot filled with cooked vegetables and seasonings.

Pour the chicken broth and the tomato sauce into the pot and increase the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, add in the pearl barley, and immediately decrease the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Let the soup simmer away until the barley is cooked through or about 45-65 minutes depending on the barley,.

A measuring cup of pearl barley being added to the large soup pot.

Once the barley is cooked through, uncover and add the turkey, baby spinach, and fresh parsley. Give it all a stir and continue cooking until the turkey is heated through and the parsley is wilted, about 6-8 minutes.

Adding the turkey, baby spinach, and fresh parsley to the leftover turkey and barley soup recipe.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve your turkey and barley soup immediately with shaved parmesan on top!

A white bowl filled with turkey barley soup garnished with shaved parmesan.

Enjoy! For a complete meal, serve with crusty bread or rolls for dipping!

A white bowl filled with turkey and barley soup with a side of buttered crusty bread.

Turkey and Pearl Barley Soup

By: April
There is nothing better than a warm bowl of turkey and barley soup on a cool winter's evening!
5 from 12 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 268 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 large Onion diced
  • 2 medium Carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 yellow Bell Pepper diced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ยฝ teaspoon dried Oregano
  • ยฝ teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 6 cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 cups Tomato Sauce
  • ยฝ cup Pearl Barley
  • 2 ยฝ cups leftover turkey shredded
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach
  • ยผ cup fresh Parsley chopped
  • 2 oz shaved parmesan cheese for serving
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add in the diced onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies become slightly soft, around 3-4 minutes.
  • Add in the oregano, paprika, thyme, and Italian seasoning and continue cooking until the spices become fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and tomato sauce and increase the heat to high.
  • Bring the soup to a boil and add the pearl barley.
  • Immediately decrease the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Let the soup siimmer until the barley is cooked through, about 45-65 minutes depending on the barley.
  • Uncover and add the turkey, baby spinach, and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and continue cooking until the turkey is heated through and the parsley is wilted, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Serve immediately with shaved parmesan on top!
  • Enjoy!
Nutrition 268 kcal
Keyword turkey and barley soup, turkey and pearl barley soup, turkey barley soup

Conclusion

I love making a hearty, comforting bowl of soup on those cool evenings and this turkey and barley soup hits the spot! It’s warm, comforting and a great way to use up the leftover holiday turkey!

About the Author

A picture of me, the owner of Chaos & Wine, with a variety of ingredients on a wooden table.

Hey! I'm April, the owner of Chaos & Wine!

I can't wait to share all my family's favorite recipes and a few random thoughts as a mom!

So let the chaos settle, grab a glass of wine and relax with me or join me for a little chaos in the kitchen!

You can find out more about me here!

2 thoughts on “Hearty Turkey and Barley Soup Recipe”

5 from 12 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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