Beef and Barley Soup {Crockpot or Stovetop}
This hearty beef and barley soup is an easy one-pot meal loaded with tender beef, wholesome veggies, and tender barley. It's a classic cold-weather favorite that improves in flavor as it rests in the fridge, making it a perfect prep-ahead dinner for a busy weeknight.
When it comes to soup night, I tend to lean towards ground meats unless I'm making my stovetop beef stew.
However, this easy beef and barley soup uses beef stew meat in a thinner soup than our favorite stew and I was blown away by how delicious it is!
The tender barley thickens the broth and the beef cooks up fall-apart tender. I loved all the fresh veggies to add flavor and depth to each cozy bowl.
We had tons leftover and the soup tasted even better the next day. Just be sure to have extra beef broth on hand for thinning it out.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Rich Homemade Flavor: Slow cooking the beef stew meat ensures that it will be fall-apart tender and enhances the soup broth.
- Loaded with Veggies: Plenty of fresh vegetables help to thicken the soup as it simmers.
- No Mushrooms: While beef and barley soup often features these veggies, we don't cook with them in my kitchen.
- Better the Next Day: You can safely prep this in advance knowing that everything will marinate and mingle in the fridge and taste even better the next night!
Ingredients
This budget-friendly beef soup starts with simple whole ingredients:
- Beef Stew Meat: I went to the grocery store looking for boneless beef chuck for the soup but was horrified by how expensive it was. The butcher pointed me towards the beef stew meat which is a budget-friendly cut that uses both boneless beef chuck along with the spare tips from other steak cuts. It worked perfectly and saved so much money!
- Pearled Barley: This whole grain can be found near the lentils and other soup beans at the grocery store.
- Beef Stock: While the recipe calls for 8 cups, you will want to have more on hand if you plan to reheat the soup the next day. It gets quite thick overnight and you can use additional stock for thinning it out.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Parsnips
- Onion
- Russet Potato
- Soy Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Dried Thyme
- Kosher Salt
Want to Save This for Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Brown the Beef
Pat the beef stew meat dry with paper towels so it browns better in the soup pot.
I took the time to season it with a sprinkle of this awesome salt and pepper blend that has a hint of bell pepper and garlic in the mix before browning.
Drizzle the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once it is shimmering, add the beef in small batches and brown it on all sides, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Do not overcrowd the pot or the beef will steam rather than brown. Transfer the browned pieces to a clean dish and repeat as needed to brown the remaining beef.
Add about a 1/2 cup of beef stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up the delicious browned bits with the back of your spoon.
Return the beef to the pot and then pour in the remaining beef stock along with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Prep the Veggies
While the beef simmers, add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute the carrots, celery, parsnips, and onion until just tender. Season them with salt and pepper and the dried thyme. This helps naturally sweeten the vegetables and will add so much flavor to the final soup.
Once the beef has finished its first simmer, scrape the entire pan of the softened veggies with the oil and seasonings into the pot and add the diced potato, barley, and a pinch more salt and pepper.
Bring everything to a simmer and cover. Cook for another 45 - 60 minutes or until the barley is tender and the beef is fall-apart soft.
You may need to add a cup or more of additional beef stock or water to loosen the soup if it becomes too thick.
Crockpot Cooking Instructions
To get the most flavor from the beef and vegetables, you would still want to brown the beef and saute the veggies but you can build the soup in a slowcooker.
Brown the beef as instructed and add it to the bowl of a 6 - 8 quart slowcooker.
Then saute the veggies as instructed and add them on top of the beef.
Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and thyme. Stir everything together.
Then add the potato and barley and stir.
Cook on LOW for 7 - 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours or until the beef is fork tender and the barley is fully cooked.
Make Ahead Tips
Beef and barley soup tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to mingle in the fridge overnight.
However, the barley will significantly thicken the soup as it rests so when you reheat it you'll want to add a splash or more of beef stock to thin it back out.
You can also freeze the soup in smaller containers for quick and easy dinners for busy nights.
Variations
- You can substitute brown rice or farro for the pearled barley if you prefer, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Add a handful of chopped spinach in the last 5 minutes for a boost of hearty greens.
- For a richer broth, saute a tablespoon of tomato paste in the skillet with the veggies.
Serving Suggestions
I think one of the most natural side dishes for a cozy bowl of soup is warm, fresh bread. Any one of these delicious breads would pair well with soup but let me share a few of my favorites.
These dark brown bread rolls with oat topping are a perfect dinner roll but a slice of hearty bread machine rye bread would pair well with the beef broth as well.
I think these sourdough popovers are perfect for soup night because you can time them so easily and keep the soup warm on the stove.
If you don't want to bake from scratch, try these easy herb butter biscuits which are a perfect upgrade for refrigerator dough.
📖 Recipe
Beef and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef stew meat trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + 3 tablespoons for the vegetables
- 8 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 medium carrots chopped
- 3 celery ribs sliced
- 2 medium parsnips peeled, halved, and cut into 1/4inch thick slices
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions Start Cooking
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels so it browns well. Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef in batches and brown on all sides, about 4 - 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pot or the beef will boil rather than brown. Repeat as needed, transfering the browned meat to a clean plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Remove the pot from the heat and wipe out any excess oil with a paper towel. Return the pot to the burner and drizzle in some of the beef stock. You can use it to deglaze the pan, lifting up the browned bits with the back of a spoon as it simmers.
- Return the beef to the pot and then pour in the remaining stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- While the meat is cooking, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, parsnips, and onion. Stir and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, and thyme. Remove the skillet from the heat and wait for the soup to finish its first simmer. Then scrape all the vegetables from the skillet plus the cubed potato and barley to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover it again and cook until the barley and meat are tender, another 45 - 60 minutes. If the soup starts to become too thick during this last simmer session, you can add more water or stock to loosen it up. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Serve the soup with a sprinkle of parsley and chunks of fresh bread.
- This soup improves as it rests overnight. Be sure to cool it before storing in the refrigerator. It will thicken up with time so have some additional beef stock or use a splash of water to thin out the broth when you reheat it.
Recipe Notes
Crockpot Cooking Variation
To get the most flavor from the beef and vegetables, you would still want to brown the beef and saute the veggies but you can build the soup in a slowcooker. Brown the beef as instructed and add it to the bowl of a 6 - 8 quart slowcooker. Then saute the veggies as instructed and add them on top of the beef. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and thyme. Stir everything together. Then add the potato and barley and stir. Cook on LOW for 7 - 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours or until the beef is fork tender and the barley is fully cooked.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
Find this delicious recipe next time you visit by saving it to your very own recipe box on my site. All your favorites stored in one easy place!
Comments
No Comments