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Home » Recipe Index » Soups

Beef Barley Soup

Published: Oct 17, 2019 · Modified: Jan 20, 2025 by Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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There’s nothing as comforting as a bowl of homemade Beef Barley Soup. Packed with tender chunks of beef, nutty barley, and vegetables, this soup is hearty and wholesome.

Bowl of Beef Barley Soup.

Making a pot of Beef Barley Soup from scratch doesn't have to be a long complicated process. This recipe is easy and in just about an hour you can have a hearty bowl of soup on the table.

Full of flavor, this Beef Barley Soup with vegetables is easy to make, delicious and healthy. This is one of my favorite soups to make on a cold day, it's perfect comfort food and the house smells amazing when I make it. 

Bowl of beef barley soup.
Jump to:
  • How to Make it
  • Ingredients Overview
  • Steps Overview
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Storage Instructions
  • More Easy and Hearty Soups to Try
  • Beef Barley Soup Recipe

How to Make it

To make beef barley soup in just about an hour, I used Pearl barley. Though it's not considered a whole grain and is less nutritious than hulled barley, it's still very good for you.

If you prefer to use hulled barley to take full advantage of its health benefits, you can do so but will need to increase the cooking time.

If you're wondering what the right cut of beef is to make this beef barley soup recipe, I find chuck roast or sirloin tip works wonderfully.

Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. You can see the amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Ingredients Overview

  • Olive oil and butter
  • Beef chuck roast or sirloin tip
  • Onion 
  • Celery 
  • Carrot 
  • Garlic cloves
  • Beef broth: Chicken broth can also be used. 
  • Bay leaf, salt and black pepper
  • Pearl barley
  • Fresh Parsley (a few sprigs, optional)

Steps Overview

To speed up the time it takes to cook this soup and reduce the amount of broth needed, it's a good idea to cook the barley separately. It's an extra step, but since barley absorbs a lot of liquid, cooking it partway on its own reduces the amount of stock needed in the soup.

  1. In a heavy-bottomed large pot, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat.
  2. Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides. Remove the browned beef from the pot, set it on cutting board and cut the meat into ½ inch cubes. 
  3. In a second pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add the barley. Lower the heat and simmer barley for 20 minutes. Drain plump the barley and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, to the pot in which you browned the beef, add the onion, celery and carrots. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring every few minutes, until vegetables soften, about 7 minutes. 
  5. To the soup pot, add the beef cubes, bay leaf and stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized bits, there is so much flavor in those little brown bits. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. 
  6. Add the drained barley to the soup. Let soup simmer for approximately 15 to 20 minutes more or until the beef and barley are tender. Add more broth if desired and adjust seasoning. 
  7. If you have fresh parsley available, chop a few sprigs and sprinkle onto the soup before serving.
Beef Barley Soup served in two white bowls.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this delicious soup on a cold winter day for the whole family to enjoy. The hearty soup is filling enough to enjoy as a meal but if you like, you can serve it with slices of crusty bread or some homemade biscuits.

Calories

There are approximately 314 calories in one serving of this hearty Beef Barley Soup.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover Beef Barley Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Since barley absorbs a lot of liquid you might need to add more broth (or a little water) to the soup.

If you would like to avoid having to add more broth to the soup, you could separate the broth from the solids in the soup and store them in the refrigerator separately. Reheat broth and solids together in a pot over medium heat.

More Easy and Hearty Soups to Try

  • Easy Black Bean Soup
  • Creamy Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Soup
  • Tomato Orzo Soup
  • Lebanese Red Lentil Soup
  • Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
  • Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup
Bowl of beef barley soup.

Beef Barley Soup Recipe

Author: Adapted from Serious Eats
There’s nothing as comforting as a bowl of homemade Beef Barley Soup. Packed with tender chunks of beef, nutty barley, and vegetables, this soup is hearty and wholesome. This recipe is easy and in just about an hour you can have a delicious and hearty bowl of soup on the table.
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Main, Soup
Cuisine Western
Servings 6
Calories 314 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 pound beef chuck roast or sirloin tip, you can use less beef if you prefer a less meaty soup
  • 1 onion medium
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 carrot large
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 5 cups beef or chicken broth more broth may be needed as barley absorbs a lot of liquid as its cooking
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup pearl barley rinsed
  • parsley few sprigs

Instructions
 

  • In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and set it on cutting board. Cut the meat into ½ inch cubes.
  • In a second pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add the barley. Lower heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, to the pot in which you browned the beef, add the onion, celery and carrots. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring every few minutes, until vegetables soften, about 7 minutes.
  • To the soup pot, add the beef cubes, bay leaf and stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized bits. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Add the drained barley to the soup. Let soup simmer for approximately 15 to  20 minutes more or until beef and barley are tender. Add more broth if desired and adjust seasoning.
  • Before serving, sprinkle soup with chopped fresh parsley. (Optional).

Notes

  1. To shorten the time needed to make this soup, start cooking the barley by boiling it in water in a separate pot while making the rest of the soup. Let the barley simmer for about twenty minutes, drain it and add it to the remainder of the ingredients in the soup pot.
  2. If you choose hulled barley for this recipe, I recommend you cook it on its own for at least 30 minutes prior to adding it to the soup pot. It will continue cooking with the remainder of the ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 18gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 449mgPotassium: 727mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1790IUVitamin C: 2.5mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1.9mg
Keyword Barley Soup, Beef Barley Soup
Tried this recipe? Have any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below!Mention @sweetandsavourypursuits or tag #sweetandsavourypursuits!

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Comments

    4.80 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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  1. vivian says

    January 02, 2018 at 9:05 am

    This was the perfect soup for the meat eaters in our family on a below zero night. Easy to make, hearty and delicious. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says

      January 16, 2018 at 12:47 pm

      That's great, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!

      Reply
  2. La Cuisine d'Helene says

    November 16, 2017 at 10:32 am

    Oh my I love soups and this is the perfect comfy food for the winter!

    Reply
    • Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says

      November 17, 2017 at 11:07 am

      Thanks so much Hélène! I agree, soups are great comfort food!

      Reply
  3. Karly says

    November 14, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    Looking at this has me drooling! Theeeeee perfect winter soup! So excited to try this!

    Reply
    • Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says

      November 17, 2017 at 11:07 am

      Thanks so much Karly, hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  4. Louise Crosby says

    November 11, 2017 at 7:48 pm

    This is the perfect food for cold weather. Can't wait to make it. Thanks, Fida.

    Reply
    • Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says

      November 17, 2017 at 11:08 am

      Thanks Louise, yes nothing makes you forget about the cold like a delicious hot bowl of soup!

      Reply
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