Beef Barley Soup

5 from 1 vote

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Beef Barley Soup

Our old-fashioned Beef Barley Soup is made with homey, easy to find ingredients. Loaded with Beef, Barley and just the right Vegetables! It's a Soul Warmer!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 320 kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds Boneless Beef Chuck Roast Trimmed and Cut Into 1 Inch Cubed
• 2 Tablespoons Plus More As Needed Vegetable Oil
• As Needed Salt
• As Needed Black Pepper
• 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 or 2 Large Bouillon Cubes
• Beef Stock 64 Ounces
• Fresh Thyme 4~6 Sprigs
• Fresh Rosemary 1 Sprig
• 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

Instructions

1. 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 in batches and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove the browned meat to a plate and 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.

2. 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. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms soften, another 4 minutes or so.

3. Return the browned beef, as well as any juices that have accumulated to the Dutch oven. Add 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pan. Crush the whole tomatoes with your hand and add to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender about 1 hour.

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Nutritional Information

Nutrition information will vary based on the specific products. To be safe, check the nutrition facts labels of your products. Optional object listed above have been left out of nutritional data.

Nutrition Facts

Beef Barley Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13g 20%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 78mg 26%

Sodium 204mg 9%

Potassium 944mg 27%

Total Carbohydrates 25g 8%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 5g

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 105.3%

Vitamin C 12.3%

Calcium 7.3%

Iron 21.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Notes For Beef Barley Soup:

The Beef~ Obviously, the meat is a huge part of this recipe. And when it comes to beef barley soup, Food Network and I have a disagreement. They use oxtails, but I think the beef chuck roast is the absolute best meat inclusion for this recipe. It makes the whole soup rich and filling—is it any surprise that this soup is my comfort food?

If you have leftover steak, this is a good way to use it. I wouldn’t substitute the whole amount of chuck roast with steak, because that will significantly reduce the flavor. The other beef product that works really well in this recipe is boneless short ribs. By the second or third day, the already tender rib meat is just melt-in-your-mouth awesome.

Simple leaving out the meat can help to make a pseudo-vegetarian barley soup. (Remember that there is still beef broth in the recipe which keeps the dish from being a full-on vegetarian recipe.)

Barley~ So we’ve talked about the beef, now let’s talk about the barley. This recipe calls for pearl barley, which gives it the overall best texture and flavor. I strongly recommend using pearl barley in the dish. However, for the especially health-conscious, hulled barley is higher in minerals and nutrients. But it does not make for as good a soup. So the trade-off is one you’ll have to decide for yourself.

Cooking~ This recipe uses a Dutch oven to do most of the cooking. But, when you want to significantly reduce the actual work time of your beef barley soup, slow cookers might be the way to go. I don’t think the final dish comes out tasting quite the same, but there’s no doubt that it’s an easier dish to prepare.

Because you’re using a Dutch oven to cook the meat, it is very important to cook the beef well. Don’t shorten this step. Ideally, you want a really good brown on both sides of the meat. This browning will ensure that those delicious juices get sealed into your beef, rather than getting left in the pan. Plus, those juices help to keep your meat moist and tender—nobody wants dry, stringy beef in their soup!

Reheating~ If you find your soup gets too thick in the fridge, just add a little beef broth before reheating. This will thin it out into soup consistency again.

Serving Suggestions~ I’ve already mentioned that I love serving this recipe with crusty bread. My favorite bread for this soup is a homemade Italian herb and cheese bread. The hint of Parmesan adds a ton of flavor to the soup.

Also, consider serving this soup with a handful of oyster crackers. Or try it with pita chips.

Variations~ If you have a homemade beef stock available, trying substituting that for beef broth. The final dish will that much more flavorful.

If I have them available, I’ll sometimes serve this soup with sliced mushrooms. This makes an excellent beef mushroom barley soup.

For those on a low-sodium diet, you’ll want to make a quick change. Just use unsalted beef broth (or stock) to make the soup.

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Source: Gonna Want Seconds