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beef barley stew in a bowl

Beef Barley Soup

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Beef Barley Soup packs in big beefy flavor, chunks of meat, & tons of veggies and barley. Super easy to make, it’s hearty, family comfort food at its best.

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My beef barley soup recipe packs a big beefy flavor into your new favorite chilly night dinner! Chunks of meat, tons of veggies, and hearty barley combine in one of the most satisfying vegetable beef barley soup recipes!

beef barley soup in a bowl

 

This old-fashioned soup is pure hearty comfort food. Layers of flavors and textures combine in one bowl. Chucks of melt-in-your-mouth beef, perfectly cooked vegetables, and tender, slightly chewy barley. Now that’s what soup should be! This bowl of deliciousness will warm you up from the inside out all the way to your bones!

Try some more of my beef soups and stews – vegetable beef soup, hamburger stew, classic beef stew recipe, and beef noodle soup (just like Grandma’s!).

Let’s make some soup!

beef and barley soup in a bowl with dinner rolls on the side

What Type Of Beef Is Best For Beef Barley Soup?

Beef Chuck Roast – Most soup or stew beef cuts come from the front of the cow, including the chuck, plate, and shank areas — or the upper shoulder, leg, and chest for us non-butchers. These areas are not tender enough for steaks, so they’re perfect for soups and stews. As a bonus, they’re less expensive! We use a chuck roast in this recipe.

  • As a side note– if you’ve got leftover roast or steak, this is a great way to use it up!
  • Ground Beef: Don’t want to cook a big cut of beef? Ground beef works well too! Substitute 1 ½ lbs of ground meat for the chuck roast. Cook the ground meat completely and drain any fat before moving on to the vegetables.

Do You Cook Barley Before Adding To Soup?

Nope! You just add it to the soup at step number 3 of the instructions below with “the rest of the ingredients”. The barley will cook up nicely, be tender, and be flavored with the beef, broth, herbs, and aromatics from the vegetables.

beef soup with barley, close up

Beef Barley Soup Ingredients

  • Cremini Mushrooms: These mushrooms are a younger version of portabella mushrooms. They have a richer flavor than button mushrooms.
  • Better Than Bouillon-beef Flavor: This fortifies the beef stock and increases the beef flavor!
  • Beef Stock: I use convenient store-bought stock.
  • Fresh Thyme: If you need to substitute dried for fresh, use ⅓ of the called for amount. This recipe calls for 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, which will give you about 1½ tsp of leaves. So, about a ½-¾ tsp of dried thyme would be appropriate.
  • Fresh Rosemary: It also calls for 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, which equates to about 1 tsp of leaves. To substitute dried rosemary, use a scant ½ tsp.
  • Pearl Barley: There are two forms of barley you can buy: hulled and pearled. Pearl barley is the most readily available type.
    • The difference between the two types is that pearl barley has been hulled and cooks more quickly. It also has a less chewy texture which I prefer. It still provides the right amount of texture.
  • Dutch Oven: If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a large stockpot. However, if you’re going to brown the meat and saute the veggies in it, make sure it has a thick bottom to avoid burning your meat or veggies! If it doesn’t, use a heavy-bottomed skillet for the browning and transfer everything in the stockpot to simmer.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

  • How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Once fully cooked, you can keep your beef barley stew in the fridge for up to four days. Any longer, and the barley will lose all its structure — plus you risk bacteria growth from the beef. So gobble it down before then!
  • Can You Freeze This? Since it lacks dairy, this soup freezes beautifully! Allow it to cool completely and put it in freezer containers. It will keep up to six months. To thaw, let it sit in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop!
  • Make-Ahead Tips: The flavor in this soup only gets better over time! Making it a day or two ahead and letting it sit in the fridge is a great way to have an easy meal ready and boost all those hard-earned flavors.

How To Make In The Slow Cooker

Follow the same steps as outlined in the recipe below. You’ll need to brown the meat and saute the veggies in a skillet on the stovetop before adding them to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours or 4-5 hours on high.

Serving Recommendations

Hearty and bursting with flavor, this beef soup with barley can easily stand alone as a meal, especially if you serve it with some freshly baked lion house rolls, garlic herb parker house rolls, or Bisquick rolled biscuit.

Step By Step How To Make Beef Barley Soup

Step by step how to make beef barley soup

  1. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. In a pot, add the beef in batches and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove the browned meat to a plate; set aside. Continue with remaining beef, adding more oil as needed.
  3. Add onion and carrots to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits, and cook over medium heat until they just begin to soften about 4 minutes.
  4. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms soften.
  5. Return the browned beef, as well as any juices that have accumulated to the Dutch oven. Add salt and pepper to the pan.
  6. Crush the whole tomatoes with your hand and add to the pan.
  7. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
  8. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender for about 1 hour. Remove rosemary and thyme stems. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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beef barley soup in a bowl
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Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup packs in big beefy flavor, chunks of meat, & tons of veggies and barley. Super easy to make, it’s hearty, family comfort food at its best.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubed
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more as needed
  • salt as needed
  • black pepper as needed
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4-5 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 6 large cloves garlic rough chopped
  • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms trimmed and quartered
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes including juice
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Better than Bouillon~beef flavor
  • 2 (32-ounce each) cartons beef stock
  • 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 3/4 cup pearl barley
  • 1 cup frozen green beans thawed and well-drained
  • 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, until it begins to shimmer. Add the beef (2 pounds) in batches and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove the browned meat to a plate; set aside. Continue with remaining beef, adding more oil as needed. Lower the heat through the browning process, as needed, if the meat or fond (little brown bits on the bottom of the pan) begin to burn.
  • If no oil is remaining in the pan, add 2 tablespoons. Add onion (1 medium) and carrots (4-5 large) to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits and cook over medium heat until they just begin to soften about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms (16 ounces) and garlic (6 large cloves) and cook until mushrooms soften, another 4 minutes or so.
  • Return the browned beef, as well as any juices that have accumulated to the Dutch oven. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 black pepper to the pan. Crush the whole tomatoes (1 (28-ounce) can) with your hand and add to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender about 1 hour. Remove rosemary and thyme stems. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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Notes

  1. Beef Chuck Roast - Most soup or stew beef cuts come from the front of the cow, including the chuck, plate, and shank areas -- or the upper shoulder, leg, and chest for us non-butchers.
    • These areas are not tender enough for steaks, so they’re perfect for soups and stews. As a bonus, they’re less expensive! We use a chuck roast in this recipe.
    • As a side note- if you’ve got leftover roast or steak, this is a great way to use it up!
    • Ground Beef: Don't want to cook a big cut of beef? Ground beef works well too! Substitute 1 ½ lbs of ground meat for the chuck roast. Cook the ground meat completely and drain any fat before moving on to the vegetables.
  2. Cremini Mushrooms: These mushrooms are a younger version of portabella mushrooms. They have a richer flavor than button mushrooms.
  3. Better Than Bouillon-beef Flavor: This fortifies the beef stock and increases the beef flavor!
  4. Beef Stock: I use convenient store-bought stock.
  5. Fresh Thyme: If you need to substitute dried for fresh, use ⅓ of the called for amount. This recipe calls for 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, which will give you about 1½ tsp of leaves. So, about a ½-¾ tsp of dried thyme would be appropriate.
  6. Fresh Rosemary: It also calls for 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, which equates to about 1 tsp of leaves. To substitute dried rosemary, use a scant ½ tsp.
  7. Pearl Barley: There are two forms of barley you can buy: hulled and pearled. Pearl barley is the most readily available type.
    • The difference between the two types is that pearl barley has been hulled and cooks more quickly. It also has a less chewy texture which I prefer. It still provides the right amount of texture.
  8. Dutch Oven: If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a large stockpot. However, if you’re going to brown the meat and saute the veggies in it, make sure it has a thick bottom to avoid burning your meat or veggies! If it doesn’t, use a heavy-bottomed skillet for the browning and transfer everything in the stockpot to simmer.
  9. Make-Ahead Tips: The flavor in this soup only gets better over time! Making it a day or two ahead and letting it sit in the fridge is a great way to have an easy meal ready and boost all those hard-earned flavors.
  10. For a slow cooker version, just follow the same steps as outlined. You’ll need to brown the meat and saute the veggies in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours or 4-5 hours on high.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 1454mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5345IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 5mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paula Collins says

    My goodness Kathleen!!!! I made your recipe last night for today 9/5/21. Yes it’s 85 degrees, end of summer but I wanted something good, hardy and homemade. Thus my beautiful crockpot of your soup!!!! It is all you and other viewers exclaimed!!!! I ❤LOVE IT. PERFECT LUNCH.
    Thank you for the new recipe.

    Paula Collins-Scott Scott

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Paula! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. I hope you find lots of new recipes here! <3

      Reply

  2. Renee K Moriguchi says

    I love making soups. This was more of a stoup, so rich & chock full of veggies & chunks of meat.

    I added celery by mistake, no green beans so sub peas. I followed the recipe the rest of the way.

    Delicious !! No added salt which was great !

    I served over rice on the 3rd day as it was nice & rich & thick at that point. ? yum.

    This is 2nd go around. Can’t wait !

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Hi, Renee! I’m happy you liked this soup. It’s so perfect with rice, right? Thank you for your positive review! 🙂

      Reply

  3. Lindsay Gerard says

    Hello! This is just what I needed. Thank you for sharing.
    My grandmother taught me to add a small amount of sugar to anything with tomatoes to help bring out the flavor. A minuscule amount makes a huge difference. She also had me put a square of semi-sweet chocolate in a pot of chili for the same reason. Can’t argue with grandma.

    Reply

  4. Jo Anderson says

    My family and I went crazy for this recipe. It is delicious and hearty. This could definitely be served to guests with a rustic bread and a salad. I would do nothing to change the recipe, it’s
    perfect. Great job.

    Reply

  5. Camille Strate says

    Sooooo YUMMY! Haven’t made Beef Barley Soup in years. My sister recommended this recipe (she’s a huge fan of your site!) and I immediately bought ingredients to cook it up. Did mine in the Crock Pot (too hot to keep the stove on!). Left out the green beans (not a fan) but used everything else. GOOD EATS!!! Thrilled she told me about it. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  6. Carol Gipe says

    I make soups for the elderly in the church. This looks and sounds like a perfect soup for this time of year. Thank you. Have a beautiful day.

    Reply

  9. Rose says

    I love this recipe. Its simple to make and makes the house smell delicious. The only thing I change is to cook the barley in a separate pot. It makes the soup clearer. When you cook barley in the soup it can get cloudy from the starch. I add it at the end and it thickens the soup.

    Reply

  10. Janet says

    Do you make the beef stock by adding water with the 1 T. of Better than Bouillon, or just add the 1 T. of the Better than Bouillon plus the 64 ozs. of beef stock? Thank you!

    Reply

  12. Lesley says

    I’m very curious about why you include 1/8 tsp sugar….seems rather insignificant compared to an entire pot of soup.

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Hi, Lesley. Thanks for asking. A little bit of sugar can enhance the flavor of the soup. You can leave it out if you like 🙂

      Reply

  13. Celeste says

    Is one cup the amount for each serving? I make soup for my husband to take to work every day, so I need to know if one cup would be the 8 serving per pot please. Thank you

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Hi Celeste. The way our nutrition information is calculated is that the total amount of soup is divided by the number of servings. So actually, the serving is 1/8 of the entire pot <3

      Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Hi Zoie. You can use any large heavy bottom pot, it really doesn’t have to be a Dutch oven. If you’d like to make the soup in a crockpot, here are the instructions:

      1. Follow the recipe instructions in steps 1 and 2, using a large skillet.
      2. Then add the browned beef, sauteed onions, carrots, mushroom and garlic to the crockpot.
      3. Add the rest of the ingredients from the recipe to the crockpot.
      4. Simmer until the beef is tender. Low 4-6 hours High 2-4 hours

      Reply

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