Chicken barley 'krupnik' soup is a traditional Polish dish, satisfying and simple to make, perfect to enjoy during colder months. It consists of pearl barley, chicken, root vegetables and fresh herbs and comes together in under an hour.
Krupnik soup is one of the most popular traditional soups in Poland. It's made by cooking a handful of root vegetable along with chicken and barley in a flavourful broth. It's delicious, satisfying, simple to make and adaptable. It can be made with different vegetables, with or without meat, and you can make it as thick and hearty as you like.
In Poland this soup is typically made using either pearl barley or barley grits (which is coarsely ground barley). In this recipe I am using popular and widely available pearl barley although you could use barley grits, instead (you'll find them in Polish stores).
If you like this Polish barley soup recipe you might also like chicken and potato soup as well as turkey vegetable soup.
Chicken barley krupnik soup ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken: I used chicken thighs, but you can use 1 chicken leg along with 1-2 chicken wings. I like to use skinless chicken, but you can leave the skin on, if preferred.
- Barley.
- Vegetables: onion, carrot, celery root, parsley root (can be omitted if you can't get it) and potatoes.
- Porcini mushrooms: add more depth of flavour, but can be optional. For a more intense mushroom flavour add a few more porcinis.
- Herbs: bay leaf and allspice berries (widely used in traditional Polish cooking).
- Chicken stock.
- Oil: use any.
- Fresh herbs: parsley and dill.
- Salt and pepper.
How to prepare the barley
Pearl barley cooks quickly (even if the package indicates otherwise) and you don't need to precook it before adding into the soup. Cooked barley is soft, slightly chewy, tastes a little nutty and makes a great natural thickener perfect for using in soups.
Rinsing the barley groats can be optional. If you prefer a slightly thicker broth add the barley straight from the package. I also think using unrinsed barley gives this soup a more intense barley flavour, which I like (I don't rinse my pearl barley). Rinse if you prefer a clear broth.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Cook onion and barley: Heat the oil, add the onion, leek, bay leaf and allspice berries and cook gently for 2 minutes stirring often. Add the pearl barley and continue cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes.
2. Add chicken: Add the chicken, porcini mushrooms, stock, pepper to taste, stir, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
TIP: Clean the porcinis by soaking for 5 minutes in 3 tablespoons of water then gently rubbing with your fingertips to remove any grit.
3. Add vegetables: Add the carrots, celery root, parsley root (if using) and potatoes, cover, bring to the boil, again, then simmer gently for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Chop chicken: Remove from the heat and take the chicken out of the pot. Separate the meat form the bone, chop the meat then return to the pot. Stir in finely chopped fresh herbs, add more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve.
TIP: You can also remove the mushrooms from the pot (if they are quite large), finely chop then return to the pot before serving.
*Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a full, printable list of ingredients and instructions.
Serving suggestions
Polish barley soup can be served on its own or with a slice of hearty bread, such as rye or sourdough. It's sometimes served with a dollop of sour cream, although for me sourness is not necessary in this soup so I prefer it without the sour cream.
How to make a vegetarian version of this soup
To make a vegetarian version of Polish krupnik soup simply omit the meat and use vegetable stock (but add less). Follow the rest of the steps as per instructions.
Optional extras
This hearty krupnik chicken soup is delicious as it is but you can tweak the ingredients according to your taste. For example you can add a few regular mushrooms (chopped and browned in a little butter beforehand), a spoonful of butter, smoked ribs or Polish sausage.
I also sometimes add a drop of soy sauce or a small amount of dried lovage for more depth of flavour.
Top tips
- Use either 2 chicken thighs or 1 chicken leg along with 1-2 chicken wings (but increase cooking time in Step 2 by about 5-10 minutes). You can also use turkey neck or wing (and add less chicken). I do not recommend using chicken breast as it's not suitable for prolonged cooking.
- Rinsing the barley before making the soup is optional (don't rinse if you want a thicker broth).
- Refrigerate leftover Polish chicken barley soup for up to 4 days. It might thicken after a while so add a splash of water and adjust the seasoning, if needed, before serving.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Related recipes to try next
- Polish Chicken Noodle Soup (Rosol)
- Chicken Mulligatawny Soup
- Polish Egg Drop Noodles Soup (Lane Kluski)
See also these other easy, delicious soup recipes including more traditional Polish recipes!
Recipe
Polish Chicken Barley Soup (Krupnik)
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs skinless, see *Notes
- ½ cup (100 g) pearl barley see **Notes
- 4-5 dried porcini mushrooms see ***Notes
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ½ small leek finely chopped, avoid tough green part
- 3 medium potatoes peeled, cubed
- 2 small/medium carrots peeled, diced
- ¼ cup (40 g) celery root peeled, finely diced
- ½ small parsley root peeled, finely diced, can be omitted
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 allspice berries
- 1½ tablespoons oil vegetable or olive
- 7 cups (1,650 ml) chicken stock hot
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoons dill finely chopped
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook onion and barley: Heat the oil, add the onion, leek, bay leaf and allspice berries and cook gently for 2 minutes stirring often. Add the pearl barley and continue cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes.
- Add chicken: Add the chicken, porcini mushrooms, stock, pepper to taste, stir, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.TIP: Clean the porcinis by soaking for 5 minutes in 3 tablespoons of water then gently rubbing with your fingertips to remove any grit.
- Add vegetables: Add the carrots, celery root, parsley root (if using) and potatoes, cover, bring to the boil, again, then simmer gently for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Chop chicken: Remove from the heat and take the chicken out of the pot. Separate the meat form the bone, chop the meat then return to the pot. TIP: You can also remove the mushrooms from the pot (if they are quite large), finely chop then return to the pot.
- Add herbs: Stir in finely chopped fresh herbs, add more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve.
Notes
- *Use either 2 chicken thighs or 1 chicken leg along with 1-2 chicken wings (but increase cooking time in Step 2 by about 5-10 minutes). You can also use turkey neck or wing (and add less chicken). I do not recommend using chicken breast as it's not suitable for prolonged cooking.
- **Rinsing the barley before making the soup is optional (don't rinse if you want a thicker broth with a more intense barley flavour).
- ***The porcini mushrooms can be optional. On the other hand you can intensify the flavour by adding 3 more porcinis.
- Refrigerate leftover Polish chicken barley soup for up to 4 days. It might thicken after a while so add a splash of water and adjust the seasoning, if needed, before serving.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this Polish barley soup I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Jillene aka Jiji says
I am making this tonight! Though I didn't make it yet, I remember exactly how my Polish Grandma used to make it (while explaining her process to me) when I was little - like 3 years old. Your recipe matches my memory perfectly. Might add some cayenne to help get over a cough. And I confess I like the fat that comes with the skin. I think that's how she did it too. Thanks for posting this!
Jillene aka Jiji says
I am making this tonight! Though I didn't make it yet, I remember exactly how my Polish Grandma used to make it (while explaining her process to me) when I was little - like 3 years old. Your recipe matches my memory perfectly. Might add some cayenne to help get over a cough. And I confess I like the fat that comes with the skin. Thanks for posting this!
Monika says
You are welcome! I hope it tastes as good as your grandma's:)
Arkadiusz Mucha says
I understand that this is your personal, low fat version of krupnik, but it really departs from the spirit of Polish krupnik.
If using chicken for soup base we would never remove the skin. By doing this you remove the fat and with it, most of the flavour.
Mushrooms do not really belong in a krupnik.
Monika says
Thank you for sharing your feedback! As with most popular recipes made by millions of people differences of opinion are bound to exist. Appreciate your point of view:)
Monika says
:0)
Jo says
One of my favourite soups when growing up. I love a soup with a bit of substance to it and pearl barley definitely won't leave you hungry. Absolutely delicious!
Monika says
Thank you:)
Dave G says
Thanks for the recipe! I don't know why but I don't use barley, porcini, or celery root enough but every time I use those ingredients I end up really liking it!!