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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OMG, this soup is awesome!,..my wife made it for me from her blog and it is delicious, thank you Holly!
So glad you love this delicious soup Ken!
Excellent! Easy to make and delicious.
Thank you Michele! So glad to hear you love the soup!
I have made this twice now and it is delicious and a family favorite . I’ve pretty much made it “as is” but this time I only added 1/2 a packet of the gravy mix. It was great with the full packet as well; I think I like it the subtlety of 1/2 better. Yummy and hearty!
So glad you loved it Susan, it’s one of our favorites too!
sounds great can’t wait to make it. thanks for sharing
Let me know how you like it!
Holly wondering your thoughts on subbing apple cider for wine? Can’t wait to make it. Thank you for sharing.
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Perhaps just start with 1 tablespoon and see how it works out for you! Let us know how it goes!
This soup is yummy. I followed the advice on a comment and added golden beet and kale. Adding this to the rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Yummy addition, glad you enjoyed it Andrew!
Is the 2/3 cup barley cooked or dry.
This is the dry measure.
Wonderfully hearty soup! Will definitely make this again. I added fresh kale and fresh golden beets for
extra nutrition. I give the recipe a 5.
I absolutely love your additions, thank you for sharing!
Is it possible to not put the green pepper in?
If you aren’t a fan of green peppers, you can omit them.
Is there a video to this meal ?
We don’t have a video for Beef Barley Soup Mario. Enjoy the recipe!
I used about 1.3 lbs. of chuck, browned it in the soup pot, then deglazed the pot with about 1/3 cup of red wine, garlic, and onion. This added a nice depth to the beef flavor. Also left out the pepper. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. It was very tasty.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Jason!
Very delicious soup and very easy to make. I made the recipe as instructed but did omit the wine. Next time I make it, I will use a different kind of beef that is more fatty like a chuck. I used top round this time which I thought was too lean.
Glad to hear you love the soup Pam!
This soup was delicious! I added a few green beans, extra thyme, and omitted the gravy mix. We will be making thus again, my daughter and husband loved it!
I’m so glad your family loved it!
This was one of 7 soup/chowders I made for my annual “Sip and Soup Holiday Party” This soup was very popular. I roast a small chuck roast with root vegetables and then made gravy from the broth and vegetables. Everyone asked for the recipe . I will be making this thru out the winter season.
I’m so glad everyone loved it!
Is there a substitute for the beef gravey mix??? The soup sounds wonderful!!! Can’t wait to try it!!!
You could leave out the brown gravy mix or use beef bouillon.
Do you add the beef bouillon as is or do you mix it with water?
I would use it as is if adding it in place of the gravy mix.
Awesome! Hubby can be a soup snob, but not this time! Yum yum!!!
Yay! Glad your hubby enjoyed the soup Deb.
I just made this and ate two bowls! It’s very delicious. I didn’t use wine in it, and omitted the bell pepper. Other than that, I followed the recipe. It’s easy, nutritious, and delish! Thanks for this yummy recipe. I’ll definitely be making it again.
So glad you loved it!
I have a London broil steak in my freezer will that work for the beef in this recipe? Any thoughts on if it would come out tender? Beef and Barley soup is one of my favorite’s!! Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe asks for cooked beef. Cook up your London broil in your usual way, and it should work just fine! Enjoy Tammy!
Oh my! This is good!!! I made this on 14 Aug, and wow! And from my wife, wow! The cooking time is 100% spot on, simmering a bit more for a thicker soup. I did make some deviations but did not detract from the recipe. Used ground beef (1 lb), and cutting the carrot in a Japanese style, and no celery, so some celery seed did the trick, and to add a bit to the soup, added some pressure cooked long beans (like a green bean but 12-20 inches long). Other steps listed, used, and perfect! Thank you for a wonderful recipe, and will be a favorite here! Worthy of 10 stars!!!
Thank you Lee, so glad you enjoyed the soup! You’re right, it’s easy to change it up with what you have on hand. Thanks for stopping by!
I recently found barley here where I live, and I will make this with ground beef (it is local beef, so best ground), I will return back with a rating and comment, thank you, Holly, for the great sounding recipe.
You’re welcome Lee!