This soup is lovingly simmered on the stove or in the crock pot to produce the richest Beef Barley Soup recipe I’ve ever tasted. Shredded carrots and potatoes give it a fabulous, thick texture. Originally published October 2, 2014.
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I still remember the first time I walked into Eric’s parent’s house. I mean, of course I remember it, Eric and I were practically engaged before I met his family, so you know, no pressure. Hi, I’m going to be here FOREVER, hope you don’t hate me. (We were married 5 months later.)
The reason I remember walking through the door so vividly is because of the delicious smell. Soup. The soup to end all soups.
You’ll love this recipe for Beef Barley Soup
My mother-in-law Kris is one of the best cooks I know. I’m addicted to recipes (part of the reason I started this blog–it’s a catalog my friends, plain and simple) but she is a true cook, adding ingredients by gut instinct rather than what some imposing recipe says. (I do that sometimes…and sometimes I have to throw dinner in the trash.)
Her Beef Barley Soup is literally the definition of comfort food for me. It reminds me of being in her cozy kitchen in Montana, with snow fluttering outside that somehow makes you feel warmer, and this aromatic soup simmering on the stove, with the cats nosing around to see what the smell is.
Beef Barley Soup Recipe ingredients
This recipe for beef barley soup is loaded with hearty, good-for-you ingredients! See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Beef stew meat (nicely marbled beef chunks)
- Salt and pepper
- Oil
- Water
- Beef base
- Celery
- Onions
- Garlic
- Potato
- Carrots
- Pearl barley
How to make Beef Barley Soup
You should have heard me try to finagle this recipe out of Kris. She sent me an email with the basic beef barley soup recipe but I still had to text her 7 times and call her twice. It worked, because the soup tastes exactly like hers. Which is to say, it tastes just like home.
The shredded carrots and potatoes are part of the reason this soup is so fabulous. It gives it great texture, on top of the barley. This was my first time buying barley. I had to ask where it was after checking by the oats and then the flour. (It was by the dry rice and beans. Here’s the kind of barley you’re looking for.) (Update! I tried this with quick pearl barley in December 2016. It worked awesome and was done in half the time.)
I call this a lazy-day soup. Make it on a rainy day at home when your most exciting task is laundry. It will make you feel all warm and nostalgic, I promise. Or, if you want to eat this on a weekday, throw it in the crock pot and add the barley when you get home.
I love Better than Bouillon. It adds the BEST flavor to soup.
I’m telling you guys. Shredded potatoes/carrots is where it’s at. Use a food processor if you have one, but if not a normal cheese grater will do.
Well guys, if all goes according to plan, this is the last time I will hit publish with this blog design. I’m so excited to show you! I feel like I just got a new wardrobe. Soon I will make you all sit in the living room while I model my new outfits.
Beef Barley Soup Crock Pot tips
- Brown the beef. Giving the beef chunks a nice sear before putting together your soup creates the best texture and flavor. Don’t skip this step!
- Brown in batches. I recommend splitting the beef up into 3 batches when browning. If there’s too much in the pan at once, you’ll end up steaming it rather than searing it.
- Is your soup too thick? Depending on how long you simmer, sometimes the soup can get much too thick. If you like a soupier soup, just add more water and beef base to thin it back out.
- Slow cooker or stovetop! This recipe is great in the slow cooker or on the stove, so I’ve included instructions for both. Pick whatever fits your time frame the best!
How to serve this recipe for Beef Barley Soup
I love making this crusty One Hour French Bread to go with this Beef Barley soup. It would also be amazing with The Best Garlic Bread of Your Life, Homemade Crescent Rolls, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, or Garlic Knots!
If you are serving a lot of people and need another side, make this Apple Gorgonzola Salad, or this Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing.
Beef and Barley Soup storage
One of my favorite things about soup is just how easy it is to make a giant batch to store and eat the whole week!
To store your soup, let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days. It can also be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm on low on the stove until everything is heated through.
Crockpot Beef Barley Soup FAQs
No, not when you’re making it in the slow cooker. If you cook it first, it will absolutely turn into mush over a long, all-day crockpot simmer.. The barley goes into the soup uncooked, then simmers in the broth until it’s perfect. All you need to do first is rinse it.
Beef and barley soup will naturally thicken as it sits and simmers. However, if you’re looking to thicken it a little more quickly, you can whip up a simple slurry. To do so, whisk together 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Add small amounts of that into the soup until it’s thickened to your liking.
In this Beef Barley Soup I use pre-packaged stew meat, which is usually made of chuck steak. It’s cheap and it’s super tender after simmering in this soup all day. You could also use beef sold as chuck roast or round roast, or even beef short ribs,, but anything well-marbled will work great.
It is possible to overcook barley if you soak it before putting it in the slow cooker. Start with uncooked barley, rinse it, and let it cook directly in the soup, and you’ll be just fine.
When you’re using pearl barley, you don’t need to soak it – just give it a quick rinse. Hulled barley needs soaking for several hours; we aren’t using that (no way dude, I am trying to make this dinner easy).
There’s hulled barley, there’s pearl barley, and there’s quick barley. Hulled barley is like the whole wheat bread of barley–it’s been processed very minimally, and it’s a whole grain. Don’t try to use it in this soup! Either pearl barley or quick barley are great in this recipe. Quick barley is more processed but also cuts down on the amount of cook time, so buy what works for you.
This barley soup is healthy, at least by my definition of healthy. It’s got protein rich beef and veggies like onions, carrots, and potatoes. Barley is a nutritious food too. Plus eating something so warm and comforting is always good for your soul!
Pearl barley has more fiber and calcium than rice, and it’s somewhat less caloric. Full disclosure, I’m not using it in this soup for health, I’m using it for nostalgia and texture.
Barley can be anti-inflammatory because it contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help your cells stay healthy and repair themselves.
Other soups you will love:
Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage and Pesto << classic minestrone with some super delicious extras
Pozole Rojo Like Abuela’s << this has always been one of my favorites, and this recipe is spot on to what I get in restaurants!
Cheeseburger Soup << Warm. Filling. Actually tastes like a cheeseburger!
Cream Cheese Chicken Chili << another great dinner to throw in the slow cooker!
Easy Cheddar Cauliflower Soup << dreamy, creamy, and cheesy, this soup uses an entire head of cauliflower
Slow Cooker Enchilada Soup from Weary Chef
Easy Chicken and Dumpling Soup from Melanie Makes
Tortellini Cheddar Cheese Soup from Simply Gloria
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Beef and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew meat, nicely marbled beef chunks
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 10 cups water
- 3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base, mounded tablespoons good quality*
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large potato, peeled and shredded, about 2 cups
- 3-4 large carrots, peeled and shredded, about 2 cups
- 1 cup pearl barley, *** rinsed
Instructions
- Generously salt and pepper the beef. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- When it is very hot, add about 1/3 of the meat. Brown for about 1-2 minutes, then turn to brown the other side. Remove to a plate when it is browned on all sides.
- Repeat with remaining meat in 2 more batches. (If you add it all at once it will steam the meat instead of browning it–not what you want.)
- When all the meat is browned, add all the meat back to the pot with 10 cups of water. Add 3 healthy tablespoons beef stock concentrate.
- Add the chopped celery, onions, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 2 hours with the lid on.
- When the meat is tender and you can break it apart easily with a wooden spoon, add the shredded potato and carrots. Bring to a boil, then continue to simmer on low for another 30-45 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add 1 cup of barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Cook for another half hour, or until barley is tender and the soup tastes…like home.
Slow cooker instructions:
- In a large pan, brown the meat according to the instructions. Remove the browned meat to a large crockpot.
- Add 2 cups of the water to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir up all the browned bits. Add this and the remaining 8 cups of water to the crock pot.
- Add the beef base, celery, onions, and garlic to the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on low for about 6 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for another hour.
- Add the barley and simmer for another hour or so, until it is tender.
Made this Beef Barley soup today on the stovetop and it was delicious! Family enjoyed this. Thank you for this recipe, I will be making this again!
Which type of potato works best in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Joe! A regular russet potato/baking potato works just great. Enjoy!
Karen,
I was always taught that if you freeze something with potatoes in it, they will be mealy; is that true with this soup?
Thanks,
Frank
This is often true Frank, but since the potatoes in this soup are shredded, it’s really not an issue in the defrosted soup. Enjoy!
This is my go to beef barley soup recipe! It tastes fantastic and freezes so well! Family and friends love it too! Thanks so much for creating it!
This is my go to beef barley recipe and i make it often – lots of nutrition and it freezes well. I make a few minor additions – thyme, bay leaf, i prefer the chew of pot barley, lots of parsley at the end. Thank you for this recipe – i use your method with my wee additions and it is perfect every time.
So happy to hear this Jules, sounds like it has become beloved for you as it has for our family 💕 Thank you for your cooking notes! thyme and bay, never a bad idea! thanks for chiming in, it means so much!
Absolutely delicious soup! I make mine in a crock pot. I shared some with elderly neighbors and their comment was “you can’t buy soup this delicious anywhere.” That is a glowing tribute to this recipe. I serve it with homemade buttermilk biscuits and butter. Try it, you’ll love it!
How do I make this with store bought beef broth?
Hello Meme! You’ll just add 10 cups beef broth instead of of 10 cups water and 3 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Beef Base. Enjoy!
I make this all the time on the stove. It’s absolutely delicious!!! I just made a fresh batch and added 2 parsnips and shiitakes. It’s next level.
Hi Karen! I made this soup for dinner tonight. It turned out great! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
I am thinking of freezing this before adding the barley, then adding it when I reheat. Has anyone tried that?
Heidi! Genius. Yes that’s exactly how I would do it. You don’t want the barley getting soggy on you. So smart! Great question!
Can some or all of this recipe be made in an Instant Pot?
Hi Dolores! We haven’t made this one in the Instant Pot before, but if you try it, come back and let us know how it turns out!
I grew up on beef barley soup. Your recipe resembles the one my mom cooked. Just put all the ingredients into the crock pot. Looking forward to a lucious, earthy soup.
I felt your recipe was closest to what I wanted to make from my childhood too. I did flour and season chuncks of chuck roast then browned a crust on meat in small batches. I reduced the drippings with a little more flour and added a bottle of Guinness Stout for rich flavor. I added 3 chopped garden tomatoes for some acid. I returned the browned meat back to the dutch oven then added chicken stock with beef boullion, some Herbe de Provence, and a little water as well. Gave it a stir then put it into a 300 degree oven for 3 hours. At 3 hours I added all my vegetables
and cup of barley, then returned it to oven for another hour and 15 minutes. Absolutely wonderful supper for a beautiful fall day! Thank you and enjoy!
Hi Karen,
I’ve made this Soup so many times and we just love it. I have a couple questions….. one is the barley sort’ve bloats my stomach up…. what would you recommend to replace the Barley. I guess it has too much gluten in it. Also, I wanted to make it for tonight, but I don’t have the time of 6 hrs. to cook it in a slow cooker. Would it turn out fine if I did it on the stove top??? Thanks so much.
Hi Joanne! So glad you love this soup. I recommend substituting brown rice for the barley if you’re trying to avoid gluten. You can add the same amount (1 cup) at the same point in the recipe. As for cooking on the stove top, I don’t recommend it. The beef needs to cook low and slow for the connective tissues to soften and the meat to become tender. Enjoy!
I think my carrots were too sweet as this came out very sweet, even after adding the Worschestire Sauce. Everything else was very good.