Beef Barley Soup
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Beef Barley Soup – fall-apart beef, chewy barley, cozy broth, and a husband who now refuses to order it anywhere else.
Easy Beef Barley Soup
We love beef barley soup in our household. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty much the only soup we’d ever order at a restaurant if it’s on the menu. Remo is a huge fan, and if I were to serve him this weekly, he’d be a very happy man.
I love soups like this, they’re all made in one pot with lots of beef and veggies. It’s food for the soul, have a bowl of this and you’ll see what I mean! So next time you have some barley in your pantry and aren’t sure what to do with it, make this. You’ll be surprised how delicious it is, barley is such a chewy whole grain, and so nutritious. You’ll love it!
Why You’ll Love This Beef Barley Soup
- Hearty and satisfying: More like a meal than a soup! Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread and you’ll see what I mean!
- Deep, rich flavors: Browning the beef + slow simmering = flavor.
- Thick and cozy: The barley soaks up all the goodness and makes this soup next level comforting.
- Great for leftovers: Actually tastes even better the next day.
- Easy one pot meal: Minimal effort, maximum payoff.
I have been making this delicious soup for at least five years and now I have a wonderful memory to share it;
My father loved this soup when I brought it to him and it was a great source of protein when he was on hospice, now that he’s gone when I make the soup, it reminds me of my dad, and how happy he was even in the end. ~Jennifer
Ingredients And Tips
- Beef: I strongly recommend stewing beef, not only is it more economical but as you slow cook it in the soup it becomes fall apart tender. Chuck roast or short ribs are also great options.
- Trim excess fat, but it’s ok to leave a little, that extra fat adds flavor to the broth. Be patient while simmering the beef, you want it to melt in your mouth.
- Barley: Pearl barley is best because it softens as it cooks but still has a nice chew. No need to rinse the barley before cooking it, the starch it releases will help thicken the soup nicely.
- Add more liquid: Don’t be afraid to add more broth or water if the soup has gotten too thick because the barley will soak up all that liquid. It all depends on how thick you like your soup.
- Don’t skip the sear: First, make sure to coat the beef in flour before browning because this little step will lock in the juices and also thicken the soup. Sear in batches, this will prevent your beef from steaming. If you need a bit more oil between batches, go ahead and add some.
- Deglaze the pot: Those browned bits at the bottom of the pot? Pure gold!
- Tomato paste: This will add depth and richness to the broth, so don’t skip it.
- Want more flavor? Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or even red wine while you’re deglazing.
This is the quintessential Beef Barley Soup recipe! Every time I make this, so many folks ask for the recipe. Thank you! ~KMcGee
Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. (And I mean generously, this is our chance to build flavor from the start.) Coat it in flour. This does two things:
- Helps give the beef a nice golden crust when seared.
- Thickens the soup later. Sear in batches.
Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
If you need a little bit more oil, add some now then sauté the onions, carrots and celery. You want to cook them for about 5 minutes until they’ve softened. Now stir in the garlic, oregano and tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds until the garlic becomes aromatic. Now’s the time to deglaze the pot with a bit of broth to scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom.
Time to add the beef back to the pot along with the broth and water. Season the soup with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover the pot and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes. Be patient, you need to give the beef time to become tender.
Stir in the barley, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes. Check on it occasionally and stir, barley has a habit of sticking to the bottom. If you find the soup is too thick for your liking, just add more water or broth. If it’s too thin, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes and it should reduce a bit more.
Don’t forget to taste the soup for seasoning and finally garnish the soup with a bit of fresh parsley just before serving.
How To Serve
We usually just have this soup with a baguette or some nice crusty bread, but here are a few other dishes you can serve it with:
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Easy Garlic Bread
Easy Tossed Salad
Tomato Basil Salad
Made this today, and it was so easy and turned out delicious. Cooked on stovetop, and other than stirring occasionally, chopping the veggies was the most time consuming part! Thanks for the great recipe Jo. ~Megan
Storage
This soup is even better the next day and it makes for perfect lunches. You can store in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Best recipe ive found for this, absolutely delicious, i do also add capsicum, gives it and extra boost in flavour, amazing ~Candice
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Originally posted in March 2016, updated with better photos, video and clear instructions.
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Beef Barley Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound stewing beef
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more if needed)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 large carrot (peeled and chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (cleaned and chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon oregano (fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano))
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth (low sodium )
- 3 cups water
- ¾ cup barley (I used pearl barley, see notes)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (fresh, chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Season the stewing beef generously with salt and pepper. Place the beef in a ziploc bag and add the flour over the beef. Close the ziploc bag and shake until each piece of beef is fully covered in flour. You can also do this in a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and cook just until the meat starts to brown about 3 minutes per side. You will have to do this in 2 or 3 batches, since you do not want to crowd the meat. Remove the meat from the pot after you're done and set aside.
- In the same pot, you will have a lot of brown bits on the bottom. Add more olive oil if needed, then add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, oregano and tomato paste to the pot and stir. Cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add a bit of the beef broth to the pot to deglaze all the brown bits at the bottom. Add the meat back to the pot, then the beef broth and water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a medium, cover the pot and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to cook this for so long so that the beef becomes tender, it will melt in your mouth.
- Add the barley to the pot, cover it and cook for another 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through. Make sure you stir occasionally so the barley won't stick. If you find that the soup is too thick add more water as necessary until you get the desired consistency, though this is quite a thick soup.
- Remove the soup from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- I used pearl barley. Pearl barley usually takes 25-30 minutes to cook and hulled barley usually takes 40-50 minutes. Barley is cooked when it’s tender yet chewy. If using hulled barley, make sure you add it before covering the pot and cooking the beef.
- If you can’t find barley, use rice or couscous instead.
- If you make this ahead of time, add the barley the day you serve it.
- Store leftover beef barley soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
