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.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword barley soup, beef recipes, beef soup, soup recipes

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 55

Servings servings

Calories 386kcal

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.

Notes

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.
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.
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.
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.

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