This Beef Barley Soup is rich, satisfying, comfort food in a bowl. A hearty and delicious soup, loaded with tender chunks of beef, barley, fresh herbs and veggies!
I have to tell you, there is nothing like a good hearty soup. When I make a soup, I am aiming for one that warms you from the inside out, and makes you feel good all over.
This beef barley soup is unbelievably delicious, comforting and so meaty! Loaded with barley, veggies, and melt in your mouth beef chunks, this hearty soup is easy to make and will become a new winter favorite!
Why Make This Beef Barley Soup
- Simple Ingredient List
- Filling & Hearty
- Foolproof Process
- Can Be Made In Advance
I love soups like this, ones that can be eaten as a meal! Simple ingredients, foolproof process, delicious soup – what more could you ask for?
Ingredient Notes
- Beef – You’ll need stewing beef, such as chuck, bone-in short rib, or fatty brisket. See “FAQs & Expert Tips” for more info on substitutions!
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour! We are going to use the flour to dredge the beef, this will help it brown up in the pan to develop rich flavor in the soup and also thicken the soup a bit!
- Olive Oil – Substitute to sunflower, safflower or avocado oil.
- Veggies – Let’s face it, what’s soup without onions, celery and carrots? It’s the mirepoix of soups, the trio of aromatics. No soup leaves home without it!
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is always best! Minced.
- Oregano – Fresh or dried, either works. You can add other herbs like Italian seasoning.
- Tomato Paste – Make sure to grab tomato paste, it’s much thicker and has a more concentrated flavor to enhance our soup.
- Beef Broth – I always opt for low sodium to control the sodium in the dish! You would be surprised by how much added salt are in broths!
- Barley – I used pearl barley for this soup, but hulled barley works too! There are many types of barley, but pearl is the most commonly used! See “FAQs & Expert Tips” for more info on barley.
How to Make Beef Barley Soup
- Prep the Beef – 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.
- Sear the Beef: 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.
- Cook the Mirepoix: 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.
- Season and Cook the Beef: 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 Barley and Cook: 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.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the soup from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
The best beef for this soup is stewing beef! You can find it readily available in all grocery stores. It comes already cut into cubes, ready for you to just cook with it. If you cannot find stewing beef, go for collagen-rich cuts such as chuck or short rib. These cuts of beef are usually tough if you cook them for a short period of time, but become ultra tender when slow cooked over a long period of time.
Barley is a grain that is very similar in size and texture of brown rice. There are several different types of barley, so you’ll have to test them out to decide which is your favorite!
Absolutely! You can make this soup in advance, and store it in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container until ready to serve. Just keep in mind, if you make this ahead of time, don’t add the barley until the day you serve it!! See “Leftovers/Freezing” for full instructions.
Yes! This beef barley soup can be made in a crockpot. Cook for either 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low.
Tips
- You’ll want to use low sodium beef broth, just to reduce the sodium in the soup a bit!
- I usually put my beef and flour in a large ziploc bag, close it, and shake the heck out of it until each piece of meat is covered in flour. You can also use a bowl to stir everything together.
- It’s important to brown your meat in a bit of oil, because this will create those brown bits in the bottom of your pan which will really give the soup that rich flavor! Trust me, those brown bits is where it’s at!
- If you can’t find barley, use rice or couscous instead.
- Feel free to incorporate any veggies, herbs or spices you see fit!
Leftovers
Store leftover beef barley soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat either in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, or on the stovetop over medium heat.
Freezing
You can also store your leftovers in the freezer up to 6 months. I find it’s easiest to first transfer the soup to the fridge to thaw overnight, then heat it up using your preferred method.
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Beef Barley Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb stewing beef
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp pepper or to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp 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 tbsp oregano fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth low sodium
- 3 cups water
- ¾ cup barley I used pearl barley, see notes
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Prep the Beef: 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.
- Sear the Beef: 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.
- Cook the Mirepoix: 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.
- Season and Cook the Beef: 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 Barley and Cook: 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.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the soup from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Video
Recipe 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.
- This can be made in a crockpot. Cook for either 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low.
- Store leftover beef barley soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat either in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, or on the stovetop over medium heat.
- You can also store your leftovers in the freezer up to 6 months. I find it’s easiest to first transfer the soup to the fridge to thaw overnight, then heat it up using your preferred method.
Respect to the author, this is marvelous. Add a single bottle of good ale and take out the same amount of water. Trust me on this.
Excellent recipe that was enjoyed by the whole family. It’s perfect with a nice crusty bread.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it!
I have made this recipe over & over & have shared it with family & friends. It’s one of my go-to recipes. I use ground beef instead of stew meat to reduce the cooking time, but it’s AWESOME!
This is my go to beef barley soup every time! Everything I’ve tried off of Jo Cooks is awesome!
Thank you so much! We are so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Can you tell me how much is one serving of the beef barley soup?
I don’t actually measure the servings that way, but it should be around 1 1/2 to 2 cups per serving. The recipe just assumes 6 servings.
I add a full can of tomato paste with garlic, makes for a rich, creamy soup!
How would you cook this in an instant pot?
You can probably follow the recipe as is but do it on the Saute mode on the IP and then when all the ingredients are added, cook for 15 minutes on manual.
I have made this recipe a bunch of times but haven’t commented… this is actually the first comment that I’ve ever left for a recipe! This soup rocks; it is yummy beefy goodness on a winter night … just add some good bread and good wine. I’ve taken the time to make my own bone broth to start this soup before and that was crazy rich, but tonight even with the store brand broth this soup was perfect. Thanks Jo🙏
Awesome to hear! We are so glad you like it 🙂
My apologies but I have a second question.
By adding the 3 cups of water, will that not water down the soup and compromise the flavor?
Not really, the barley will absorb a lot of liquid.
Your instructions say if making ahead, to add the barley the day the soup is being served. Is the barley cooked separately and then added into the soup or is the barely cooked in the soup?
You don’t cook it separately, add it to the soup dry and cook it in the soup the day you want to serve the soup.
Did this at home last night for my family because the weather was stormy and it was very chilly, we needed soup. It was delicious.
I substituted the barley with farro, added 1 tablespoon of reconstituted dried mushroom and decreased the tomatoe paste to 1 tablespoon and it was fantastic. (I used the Alessi brand farro with porcini mushroom, cooked it separately and added to it to the soup in each serving bowl.)