Creamy Chicken And Pesto Soup (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Crockpot chicken pesto soup is a convenient and deliciously creamy soup you'll love making anytime. It features fresh veggies, chunks of juicy chicken, chewy barley, pesto, and Parmesan for a cozy meal that will leave you savoring each and every bite.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time6 hours hrs
Total Time6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 1179kcal
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 carrots shredded and finely diced
- 2-3 ribs of celery finely diced
- 1 tbsp dried chopped onion
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed or frozen
- 1/2 cup pearl barley not quick cooking
- 1 1/2 cups milk room temperature (you can sub half/half or even cream for a richer soup)
- 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1/2 of a zucchini shredded
To the bowl of a crockpot, add in the broth, carrot, celery, onion, oregano, garlic, and zucchini-- give it all a good stir.
Add in the chicken breasts.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the barley is soft and chewy.
Remove chicken to a plate, and use two forks to shred or a knife and fork to dice it up.
Put the shredded, or diced, chicken back into the crockpot.
Stir in the milk, Parmesan, and pesto.
Turn the heat up to high, and continue cooking for another ten minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan and/or pesto, as desired.
- For a little brightness, you could add a squeeze of lemon to the soup prior to serving.
- Don't have barley? Substitute with rice or orzo.
- For the richest, creamiest pesto soup use half and half or heavy cream instead of milk. It's worth it!
- You could sneak some greens into the soup too and fold in some kale, escarole, or chopped spinach when you add the milk or cream.
Calories: 1179kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 171g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 472mg | Sodium: 1090mg | Potassium: 3065mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4001IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg