This is the Best Beef and Barley Soup—rich, hearty, and total comfort food. It’s filled with tender chunks of beef, whole grain barley, veggies, and a flavorful broth.
On a chilly winter day, this beef barley stew is only made more perfect when served with a side of crusty bread. Keep reading for both stovetop and crockpot instructions.
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The Best Beef and Barley Soup
If cozy and hearty are what you are after, this Beef and Barley Soup recipe will hit the spot. It’s a classic beef stew made with tender pearl barley that not only adds flavor and nutrition but also thickens the broth.
I like to use beef chuck roast or any other tougher less expensive stew meat for this recipe because they become incredibly tender the longer they cook. If you would rather set it and forget it, you can make this recipe in the slow cooker. And if traditional beef stew is what you are after, you can try our amazing Homemade Beef Stew recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Beef - tougher, less expensive cuts of beef are great for this recipe. The best beef for stew is basically any beef chuck roast, bottom round roast, or bottom eye roast. You can find cut-up stew meat in the supermarket. Ground beef is another great option.
- Barley - the most common barley to use for soup is pearl barley which has a similar taste and texture to brown rice.
- Onion - any white or yellow onions will work.
- Garlic - you’ll want to use fresh minced or jarred garlic for this recipe.
- Potatoes - I most often use red potatoes for this stew. An equal amount of Yukon gold, Russet, or Idaho potatoes would also work.
- Celery - you’ll want to slice into about ½ inch pieces.
- Carrots - these should be peeled and cut into pieces.
- Tomato Sauce - use any type of tomato sauce that you’d like.
- Beef Broth - use your favorite kind of beef broth or stock.
- Worcestershire Sauce - this adds so much flavor to beef.
- Bay Leaves - we like to use fresh bay leaves when possible. They have much more flavor, and last for quite a while as long as you store them in the freezer.
- Thyme - use fresh thyme if possible, or you can substitute 2 teaspoons of dried thyme or Italian seasoning.
How to Make Beef and Barley Soup
- Brown the beef. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the prepared beef chunks. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until the beef is browned on all sides.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and garlic and stir. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, then add the beef broth, barley, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Simmer. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer the soup for about 1 hour, or until the beef and barley are tender and cooked through.
- Serve. Once cooked, remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This soup lends particularly well to a tougher and less expensive cut of beef. Any chuck roast will work great - it is well-marbled and has plenty of time to slow cook and melt away all of that connective tissue.
Other great options are bottom round roast, bottom eye roast or you may even find something labeled “stew meat” at the grocery store. Ground beef can be used—just note that it will cook more quickly.
If you want a replacement for the barley in this soup, you could substitute brown rice or wild rice. They have a similar flavor and texture as the barley—just keep an eye on the cooking time as they may take slightly longer to cook.
Yup! Beef and Barley Soup can be frozen for up to 2 months. I like to freeze flat in freezer bags. The night before serving, just transfer to the fridge to defrost and reheat the following day.
When you are making any kind of beef soup or stew, a quick way to tell whether or not your beef has finished cooking is if the beef is super tender and just starting to shred. You should also check that the internal temperature of the beef has reached 145 degrees F.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: store in freezer bags or another airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: transfer to a pot over medium high heat and warm. You can also microwave this soup to reheat.
Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs Stew Meat chuck roast, or any kind of steak, cut into 1" cubes, with fat trimmed off
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 large Onion or about 1 cup, minced
- 1 cup Celery 2-3 ribs, diced
- 1½ cups Carrots diced
- 3 medium Red Potatoes peeled and cut into 1" pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
- ⅔ cup Barley
- 4 ounces Tomato Sauce
- 6 cups Beef Broth enough to cover all stew ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 large Bay Leaves
- 4 springs Thyme or about 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the prepared beef chunks. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until the beef is browned on all sides.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and garlic and stir. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, then add the barley, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the beef and barley are tender and cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Brown meat and add to slow cooker.
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the beef and vegetables are fork-tender.
- Remove the bay leaves.
- Garnish with parsley if desired, enjoy!
Nutrition
More of the Best Soup Recipes
- Homemade Beef Stew
- White Chicken Chili
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Easy Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Hearty Vegetable Soup
- Homemade Tomato Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Taco Soup
- Tuscan Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Easy Potato Broccoli Soup
- Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
- Corn Chowder
- More Soup Recipes
- More Beef Recipes
This Beef Barley Soup recipe is full of tender chunks of beef, pearl barley, veggies, and a rich and flavorful broth. It's the best winter or cold weather stew that's easy to make.
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