Beef Barley Soup is flavorful and hearty one pot meal with tender beef, barley, fresh vegetables and deliciously seasoned broth. Easy, satisfying soup on a cold day!
Our other beef soup favorites include this Instant Pot beef barley soup, vegetable beef soup and easy beef stew.
Table of Contents
Soups are busy people’s food! You make a pot and eat for days. And this beef barley soup is an epitome of comfort food which is perfect for right now!
Originally posted in 2020, I updated this soup recipe to incorporate the classic browned tender chunks of beef in thick and hearty tomato paste infused beef broth.
It turned out extremely delicious, especially when served with my no yeast dinner rolls! We truly enjoyed this dinner on a cold, windy night when the power went out.
Previous recipe used 1 pound of ground beef and no tomato paste, and you can still do that by following the notes in recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comforting: There is nothing better than a soup with tender beef pieces in a thickened with barley and starchy potatoes broth. It’s always a welcome change to chicken soup recipes in our house!
- Filling: There is protein, carbohydrates and lots of fiber to keep the bellies full for hours.
- Easy recipe: While ingredients list and cook times are longer, they are all simple and there is lots of idle time. We also go over substitutions in the Variations section below.
- Freezer friendly: Soup leftovers freeze and thaw very well in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Ingredients for Beef Barley Soup
- Beef: I prefer to use chuck roast, rump roast or sirloin tip roast. Just because it is widely available and contains less fat than oxtail or short ribs. You can also purchase beef stew meat, which saves time on prep.
- Barley: Feel free to use pearl, pot or hulled barley. The only difference is nutrition and cooking times, with pearl barley being most refined and hulled barley with the bran intact.
- Vegetables: Veggies used in classic soups like onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes and celery create a flavor base for meat and broth.
- Beef broth: I personally think beef broth is a must for a beef barley soup, but if in a pinch I would use chicken broth or vegetable broth. Taste will be a bit less beefy, but it works. Water works too, you might cook soup a bit longer or add more seasonings.
How to Make Beef and Barley Soup
This time I used my beloved large pot but Dutch oven is my other favorite to cook soups and stew in!
- Brown the beef: Make sure pot and oil are hot. Add beef in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, stir once and cook another 4 minutes. Not every piece will be browned and caramelized and some juices will accumulate, but even half browned meat is great! Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the vegetables: Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery until browned a bit and fragrant. Then add dried thyme and cook for 30 seconds as heat helps release its natural oils. Add tomato paste and incorporate it for a smooth texture soup.
- Simmer the soup: Add previously cooked beef, broth, barley, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring soup to a boil. Then you want to simmer soup for 30 minutes covered to cook ingredients through, and for another 15 minutes uncovered to thicken the soup.
- Let soup rest and add parsley: Every soup or stew tastes better once it sits. Do so for 5 minutes and add parsley. That’s it!
Tips for Best Results
- Beef should be dry: There are 2 schools of thought, to rinse and not to rinse the raw meat, and it’s up to you! In either case, make sure beef is dry and pat dry it with paper towels otherwise it won’t brown well.
- Do not salt the beef: I didn’t add salt to browning the beef step so it doesn’t pull moisture from meat, slowing down the caramelization process.
- Bring it to a boil before simmering: It is important to bring any soup to a boil first and then simmer, so ingredients cook on time.
- Adjust at the end: The consistency and taste may vary based on many factors like ingredients you use, the stove, the pot and cooking time. And it’s normal. So, I always recommend to let soup sit and adjust seasonings and thickness with broth, to taste. If needed, of course!
Variations
- Using leftover beef: Shredded or chopped cooked leftover beef from Instant Pot pot roast or sirloin tip roast is great. Skip the browning meat step and simmer soup for the same amount of time.
- Ground beef: It cooks a bit faster and is more affordable than beef stew meat, and sometimes that’s all you have. If you use lean hamburger, you can drain excess fat after sauteing. Meat doesn’t have to be cooked through, just small pieces are welcome to end up in every spoonful.
- If you don’t love thyme: Use dried oregano, dried rosemary or dried basil.
- For mushroom lovers: Saute 1 cup of sliced brown mushrooms before browning other vegetables.
- To make this soup in Instant Pot: Saute beef first, then pressure cook with all other ingredients (but use only 6 cups of broth) on High pressure for 10 minutes. Wait 20-30 minutes to avoid splatters and then release remaining pressure, if any.
- To cook in slow cooker: Brown meat and saute veggies separately in a skillet, and then slow cook all ingredients together for 4 hours on High heat or 8 hours on Low heat. That is when chewy hulled barley comes in handy, it won’t be as mushy as pearled barley.
Serving Ideas
Beef and barley soup goes well with crusty bread like baguette, higher in protein Greek yogurt bread or cottage cheese bread. This time I made no yeast dinner rolls which are so easy to make even on a weeknight.
Serve with a simple side salad like lemon kale salad or butter lettuce salad.
For extra vegetables, pair with roasted butternut squash or roasted cauliflower.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftovers: Refrigerate cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat by simmering on low heat in the pot on the stove.
Freeze: Freeze soup in an airtight container, leaving room for expansion, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for 4-6 hours.
FAQs
Yes. Saute all veggies and meat. Add to a large container or bowl with a lid along with all spices. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Then add stock and cook beef barley soup as per recipe.
Yes. You can also freeze the make ahead version from above FAQ in a plastic bag. Then cook from frozen on the stove or Instant Pot following recipe’s cooking time. This method wouldn’t work for crockpot though because it is not recommended to allow not fully cooked meat sit in warm slow cooker for hours. However, you can first thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours or maybe overnight and then slow cook.
I like to use cubed chuck, sirloin or rump roast. Truly any affordable roast because it is lean and widely available. Meat does come out tender enough and broth very rich, and I love less fat in my soup. Also beef stew meat can be used.
To thicken the soup, my method is using potato and barley’s natural starches. Once simmered for a period of time uncovered, they act as natural thickeners. You can also brown beef with 2-3 tablespoons of flour, but you will need to add more oil as well. Or add a slurry of 3 tablespoons cold water whisked with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch at the end and cook until thickened.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Beef Barley Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chuck, sirloin tip or rump roast fat trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 large carrots chopped or 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 3 large celery stalks finely chopped
- 3 large potatoes cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste low sodium
- 8 cups beef broth low sodium
- 1 cup barley pearl, pot or hulled barley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat large pot on high heat and swirl 1 tablespoon of oil to coat. Add beef in a single layer and cook for 8 minutes, stirring once and allowing to brown a bit. Transfer to a large plate and set aside.
- Return pot to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add thyme and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring a few times. Add tomato paste and stir to incorporate.
- Add previously cooked beef, beef broth, potatoes, barley, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 15 minutes or until barley is cooked (hulled barley cooks longer).
- Turn off heat and let soup sit for 5 minutes. Add parsley, stir and adjust any seasonings or consistency with broth to taste, if necessary.
- Serve hot with a slice of toasted bread or dinner rolls.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat by simmering on low heat in the pot on the stove or in a microwave.
- Freeze: Cool soup and freeze in airtight containers, leaving some room for expansion, for up to 3 months.
The pictures appear to have potatoes~
That is very true. How did I miss my favorite potatoes?! Added them now. Thanks for catching it.
Thank you Olena,
This soup was delicious. I used chicken stock, leftover chicken instead of beef, and cooked it in my IP. I really like hulled barley also and this is what I added.
Ate 2 small bowls for lunch. Will definitely make again.
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback, Yvonne!
This was very good. I added the mushrooms too. I also used my instant pot to make it.
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Yami Yami
Made the barley soup.It was delicious,this recipe will be a keeper.
So happy to hear this Patricia!
Oh so yummy on these cool rainy days, easy to cook and easy on the budget, just add corn bread and get ready for the compliments
Thanks for the great feedback Jo!
I have a bag of mixed split lentils, can I substitute them for the barley, thank you. And would I use the same amount as stated in the recipe.
You can. Probably same amount but you might have adjust thickness with more broth at the end. It’s soup so it’s forgiving. Just play it by the ear.