Chicken, Mushroom and Barley Soup - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 lb sliced mushrooms
- 32 oz low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup cooked barley (see Note)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Instructions
- Add oil to a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and thyme stem. Add the barley and chicken and heat through for 2-3 minutes.
- Note: To bulk cook barley, add 11 oz dry pearled (quick-cooking) barley to a pot of 4 cups boiling water. Cover, then reduce to a simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered off the heat for 5 minutes. Makes 6 cups cooked barley. This barley can be used in any recipe calling for cooked barley. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days or package in freezer bags in one cup increments for up to 6 months.
- Chef Tip: This is a great recipe to use leftover chicken or the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Recipe Cost: $9.59
- Choices: 1/2 Starch, 1 Nonstarchy Vegetable, 2 Lean Protein
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Chicken, Mushroom and Barley Soup contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Olive oil: Anti-inflammatory properties make it especially beneficial for PCOS
- Mushroom: Vitamin D deficiency is common in PCOS and supplementation may improve symptoms
- Onion: Support cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation
- Carrot: Provide antioxidants that support overall metabolic health
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that support cell membrane health and hormone synthesis. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Chicken, Mushroom and Barley Soup can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Barley.
Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley.
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