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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Love all your recipes
This is the second Spend with Pennies recipes that my family has adopted as regulars. Even my hard to please son who hates veggies loves this one. (The other recipe is the cabbage-kielbasa-noodle one).
Aww thank you so much Maria, I’m glad your family loves this as much as mine does!
“Beef gravy mix.” Who uses this stuff? The recipe looked promising until I saw that.
Agreed! I’d love to know what can be used in it’s place!
Holly, I’m anxious to try your beef barley soup but my husband is allergic to soy. Is there something I can use instead of worchestorshire sauce?
Thank you,
Mary
I’ve only made this as written however, I think you’d be fine to leave it out in this recipe.
Maybe coconut aminos!?
The US version of L&P Worcestershire Sauce does not contain soy and is also Gluten free. That came from the company directly. Hope that helps.
Thank you for sharing. Mary, please make sure to check your bottle just in case!
Bragg liquid Aminos taste like soy sauce only milder with a little bit of sweetness, closer to the taste of Tamari than soy which is stronger and saltier.
Coconut aminos liquid are also great substitute if you have a soy allergy. Soy also has wheat in it.
Made this tonight, sooo yummy!! “Flavor-palooza” It’s a little labor intensive, but totally worth it!!
So good! I’ve made a double batch last Sunday and again this Sunday! So good!!! We used chop meat and I didn’t use red wine. Everyone loves it. It makes an amazing lunch and gets nice and thick. Yummy soup and football = perfect fall Sunday!
Such a great football Sunday recipe! So happy you loved it Sara.
I make your vegetarian meals. I’ve always struggled to cook, but your recipes are so easy to follow. I love that I can watch a video as well. Really helps!
So happy you enjoy them Kristin! I am glad you found them easy to follow, have fun cooking!
YUM! I definitely will make it again. This recipe is one of my favorites now !
I am so glad to hear that Justine! Enjoy.
Second time cooking this – you think I would learn from last time….I should have done a double batch because it is a huge hit and absolutely delicious!
Next time for sure Stephanie ;)
you can now find “quick” barley in the store…only 10 to 12 minutes cooking time..it works great! I add this to the last 15 mins of simmer time when making soups with barley in them.
Great tip Laurie! Thanks for sharing!
Looks delicious
Thanks Marge!
Smells absolutely outrageous! Cant wait to try it tonight! Used 4 garlic cloves vs 1, added more pearl barley (rinsed), added 1 TB sugar to cut acidity and left out the gravy mix since didnt have it. Can’t wait to delve in! Thanks for a beautiful recipe.
Why do you add the beef gravy package ?
Hi Elsa, the beef gravy packet helps to thicken the soup a little and gives it so much flavor!
The gravy mix MAKES all the difference. I brsised my meaty bone ‘n marrow with 1 large chopped onion…plus 4 garlic buds… plenty of carrots plus added oregano and dried basil. My husband was in ecstacy over this soup.
That sounds delicious Jacqueline!
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how many servings does this recipe make?
Hi Jackie, this recipe makes 8 servings.
Thank you
Holly, Help!!!,
This sounds amazing but can you give me a tip son how to cook the beef cubes so that they are tender and small?
You can use leftover slow cooker roast beef, steak, or sirloin tip roast and cut it up into small pieces Teresa. Enjoy!
All of your soups sound wonderful I can’t wait to try them.
Thank you Brenda! So happy you loved them.
Try to substitute Venison if your into that kind of thing as like I am. Great Soup, definitely a keeper recipe. And adding water to make consistently soupier, does not hinder the taste and Overall flavor!!
We may have to give that a try Chris. Thanks for the suggestion!
I made this over the weekend and it was incredible! I grabbed 2 packages of the beef gravy mix and I’m so glad I did because I made another batch to freeze. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Good thinking Elizabeth! Now you can enjoy it anytime you want :)
Can’t wait to make beef barley soup
Let us know what you think Georgina!
I just made this last night. I was skeptical when it was done. I smelled the wine. Thought it would be over powering. But when I served it, it was delicious. Will definitely make again. WOW!!!
So happy to hear you loved it Chuck!