Beef Barley Soup is incredibly easy and so delicious!
Loaded with nutritious veggies, tender beef and plump barley, it’s a complete meal in a bowl!
This homemade beef barley soup can be made ahead of time and freezes well making it the perfect family dinner!
All of my favorite soups are fully loaded with goodies including veggies and grains, this Beef Barley Soup definitely fits the bill!
It is a rich and hearty barley soup that leaves you completely satisfied and warms every inch of your body!
It screams comfort food, like mom used to make and is perfect served up with a side of buttermilk biscuits and a side salad!
How to Make Beef Barley Soup
While the list of ingredients may seem long, this Beef and Barley soup is really easy to make.
I start out by cooking garlic and onions just until softened.
All of the remaining ingredients are simply added to the pot and simmered until tender.
I use homemade stock whenever possible for the best flavor.
What is the Best Beef for soup?
This recipe calls for cooked beef. You can use any kind of leftover beef for this beef barley soup including pot roast, leftover steak or roast beef.
If you don’t have cooked beef, you can cook your own. I use either flank steak (sliced against the grain) or cubed chuck.
If you’d prefer, you can most certainly substitute cooked hamburger in this barley soup recipe. If making a ground beef barley soup, you’ll want to brown the beef with the onions and drain any fat.
One of the main components in this recipe is barley. Barley is a grain that is very similar in size and texture of brown rice. There are several different types of barley but the most common is pearl barley which is used in this recipe.
I use it frequently in place of rice and pasta in many soup recipes, perfect in my Chicken Barley Soup!
With its slightly nutty flavor and interesting texture, it will sure to be a hit in your next homemade soup!
Try adding it to my Easy Hamburger Soup or in place of the noodles in my Turkey Noodle Soup! Your family will love the change!
Cooking the same things all of the time can leave any home chef in a bit of a meal-making rut. The addition of vegetables makes this a great and healthy choice and keeps is relatively low in calories.
Incorporating new ideas, flavors and textures helps to keep things interesting in the kitchen!
This Old Fashioned Beef Barley Soup is traditional soup that has not lost it’s lustre! We serve this alongside our favorite biscuits or 30 Minute Dinner Rolls with a fresh garden salad for a perfect meal!
Make a large pot and freeze smaller portions to enjoy later – it freezes amazing and you will love how convenient it is to microwave or reheat on the stove!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 rib celery sliced
- 2 cups cooked beef
- 6 cups reduced sodium beef broth
- 14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- ⅔ cup pearl barley
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 packet beef gravy mix
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons red wine optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until softened.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered about 40-50 minutes or until barley is cooked.
- Remove bay leaf and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Soup
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I’ve made this more than once. Even my picky 5 year old grandson gobbled it up. Thank you!
great recipe! I used onion gravy as that’s what I had available. I also used diluted red wine vinegar because I didn’t have red wine. I added that at the end of cooking.I also accidentally grabbed quick cook barley but I just let the vegetables simmer and added the barley in the last 15- 20 minutes.I didn’t drain the ground beef so it was a little greasy.the taste was perfect! I will definitely make this again. thanks for the recipe!
I made this both for a dinner and to freeze for later. I cooked up ground beef with the onions as the meat part. The only change I made was deleting the bell pepper because I don’t care for them, and I accidentally put in about 3x as much celery as the recipe called for. Oops, but I love celery. This was a delicious soup! It turned out quite thick making it as hearty as I had hoped! We just ate it with some heat and serve french rolls. I am bookmarking it for future church soup suppers and our own use, of course. I appreciated the fact there was only a few, easy steps. One of the many yummy dishes I’ve learned from your site.
I don’t usually rate recipes unless they’re real keepers. This one is. Note that I didn’t have the gravy packet, so after browning some thin steak and onions, I added some flour. I also use Better Than Bouillon for my broth which is rich and savory. Between the flour and the BTB, I reckon it pretty well simulated the gravy packet. I added some peas and a little bit of corn. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. VERY tasty and it makes more than I expected. It’s a versatile recipe and should accommodate whatever you have on hand, within reason.
Hearty soup! Beef gravy packet is a new idea to me, very tasty
OMG! I love beef barley soup, and I must say this recipe is my go to for a delicious, hearty, easy soup. Everytime I make it, I have to make sure I save enough for my two married children. This recipe also freezes wonderfully!
Thank you Holly Nilsson
This made my day Mary! I am so glad you are loving this recipe, thank you for sharing.
Excellent recipe. The o ly change I made was to substitute a pkg of gravy mix with left 1 cup of left over beef gravy I had on hand. It’s a keeper.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Lynne!
I did the same Lynne! Excellent recipe
This recipe is perfect. We’ve been making it almost once a week during the winter months because it’s such a hit! I add a bit more (2 bell peppers, 2-3 large carrots, 3-4 ribs of celery, and mushrooms) and sometimes we forgo the steak. This recipe is absolutely delicious, hearty, and easily customizable to your taste.
Excellent. Very flavorful and easy to make.
For health reason I used a London Broil
that I marinated and cooked in a crock pot.
Again excellent flavor & easy.
Excellent. Very flavorful and easy to make.
For health reason I used a London Broil
that I marinated and cooked in a crock pot.
Again excellent flavor & easy.
Delicious! I never had this soup before and it is now my favorite.
Excellent, really excellent. I only cooked it for 35 min (I thought longer would make the barley too soft) I also topped it with grated parmesan. I used that on almost everything. Anyhow, very nice!
My grandma used to make beef and barley soup when I was little and haven’t had it since. Pulled up this recipe and decided to give it a go. Absolutely delicious and easy to make. Thank you so much. It’s a keeper.
You’re welcome Carissa!
Excellent recipe.
very good needs no tweaking just good as is
Love this recipe!! Even my kids eat it, which is saying something :)
Can this be made in a slow cooker? If I cook the onions and garlic before and then add everything to the pot before I go to work.
Thanks for the advice!
Allison, I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker but I’m sure it would work. I would likely cook on low about 8 hours to make sure the barley is cooked through. I would suggest using raw stewing beef in the slow cooker so it doesn’t overcook as well. Please let us know how it goes!