This beef barley soup is a hearty combination of beef, vegetables, barley and mushrooms, all simmered together until tender and flavorful. A hearty dinner option that’s easy to make and freezer friendly.
My family could eat soup every night, some of our favorites include cabbage roll soup and chicken tortellini soup. Beef barley soup is also on the list because it’s simple yet totally satisfying.
Whenever I’m looking for a comfort food style meal that I know my family will approve of, I turn to this beef barley soup. It’s got bold flavors, fork tender meat, plenty of veggies and the barley adds such great texture. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this one!
Enjoy this beef barley soup with amazing side dishes like Irish soda bread, asparagus salad, honey cornbread and caprese bread.
Table of Contents
- Beef Barley Soup Ingredients
- How Do You Make Beef Barley Soup?
- Tips For The Perfect Beef Barley Soup
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
- Flavor Variations
- More Hearty Soups
- Love This Recipe?
- Beef Barley Soup Recipe
Beef Barley Soup Ingredients
To make this beef barley soup recipe you will need olive oil, beef stew meat, an onion, carrots, celery, garlic, beef broth, a bay leaf, fresh thyme, pearl barley, mushrooms, fresh parsley, salt and black pepper. See the recipe card below for amounts and details.
How Do You Make Beef Barley Soup?
To make this beef barley soup recipe, start by heating olive oil in a large pot. Season your beef stew meat with salt and pepper and place it in the pot. Sear each side of the meat until the chunks are browned. Remove the meat and place your onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the pot. Cook the veggies a few minutes until tender. Add the stew meat, beef broth, bay leaf and thyme to the pot. Cook for an hour and add the mushrooms and barley. Cook another half an hour and season the soup with salt and pepper. Sprinkle parsley on top and enjoy this hearty dish!
Tips For The Perfect Beef Barley Soup
- Depending on the size of your stew meat chunks, you may want to cut your beef into similar sized pieces that fit well on a spoon.
- I cut my vegetables on the larger side so that they don’t disintegrate into the soup while the meat is simmering. If you prefer firmer veggies, you can sauté them, remove them from the pan, then add them back in halfway through the cook time.
- I typically use button mushrooms but cremini mushrooms also work well.
- You can usually find pearl barley in the grocery store near other grains like farro or near the rice. It also may be labeled “pearled barley.”
Quick Tip
I use beef stew meat because it’s inexpensive and convenient. You can also buy beef chuck roast, short ribs or a similar cut of beef and cut it into cubes if you prefer.
Recipe FAQs
What is pearl barley?
Pearl barley is a type of barley that has been processed to remove the hull and bran. Pearl barley is faster cooking and has a better texture than unprocessed whole barley, which can sometimes be overly chewy.
Can you freeze beef barley soup?
Beef barley soup is the perfect candidate for the freezer. You can either freeze your cooked soup, or you can do it meal prep style where you freeze all of the ingredients in one bag, then thaw everything and cook.
Should you cook barley before adding to soup?
No, you don’t need to cook barley before adding it to soup. My beef barley soup recipe has the barley cooking in the soup for 20-30 minutes which makes for tender and delicious barley.
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Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
This recipe can easily be adapted to use in the slow cooker. Simply brown your beef and vegetables as directed, then place all of the ingredients except the parsley into a crock pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, then serve. If you choose to make this soup in the slow cooker, the barley will have a softer texture than the stove top version, but it’s still totally delicious.
Flavor Variations
This beef and barley soup makes for a fantastic and filling dish especially on cold evenings. However, you can adjust the recipe to suit your own taste.
- Veggies: Feel free to add some of you favorite veggies like green beans, peas or chopped cabbage. Add those veggies for the last 10-15 minutes of cook time.
- Ground Beef: You can speed up your cook time by using ground beef. Substitute 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef for the stew meat in this recipe.
- Chicken: You could make this dish with chicken thigh chunks. Cut 1 1/2 inch cubes of boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat. Sauté the meat and veggies as described in this recipe. Substitute chicken broth or chicken stock for beef broth and cook everything in a pot for 30 minutes.
- Seasonings: For extra flavor you can add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste when you add the beef broth to the pot.
- Toppings: You could add your favorite fresh herbs like chives or sliced green onions. You could also sprinkle on a little fresh ground pepper.
Once you have a bowl of this beef barley soup, you’ll be hooked. It’s an interpretation of the classic recipe that’s anything but ordinary!
