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Beef Barley Soup

Rich and hearty homestyle Beef Barley Soup! Made with tender chunks of beef roast, nutritious whole grain barley, fresh veggies, and a deliciously seasoned broth. A soup that’s sure to warm the soul on chilly days!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 7 (About 11 cups)
Author: Cooking Classy

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chuck roast trimmed of excess chunks of fat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1½ cups chopped carrots (about 3)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1½ Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 2 32 oz cartons low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried
  • 2 tsp minced fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Instructions

How to Make Beef Barley Soup on the Stovetop

  • Dry beef, sear in pot in batches: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Dab beef dry and add ½ or ⅓ of beef, adding just enough not to overcrowd. Season with salt and pepper. Let sear until golden brown on bottom, about 3 minutes then flip and cook 1 minute longer.
  • Transfer beef in pot to a plate along with juices and repeat process with remaining beef adding in another 1 Tbsp oil to pot.
  • Saute veggies: Add 1 Tbsp oil to now empty pot. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 minutes.
  • Cook tomato paste: Add tomato paste and garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
  • Add liquids and seasonings: Pour in broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return beef to pot.
  • Add liquids and seasonings: Bring mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beef is fairly tender, about 45 - 60 minutes.
  • Add barley and continue to simmer: Add barley, cover and simmer until cooked through and beef is tender, about 45 - 60 minutes longer.
  • Finish with parsley: Stir in parsley. Serve warm.

How to Make Beef Barley Soup in the Slow Cooker

  • Sear the beef in a pot with olive oil.
  • Transfer beef to a crockpot with the remaining ingredients except parsley.
  • Cook on low 7 - 8 hours then stir in parsley.

How to Make Beef Barley Soup in the Instant Pot

  • Select "saute" setting on pressure cooker. Add oil.
  • Brown beef in 2 - 3 batches. Turn to "off" setting. Return all beef to Instant Pot.
  • Add remaining ingredients (except parsley) also reduce broth to 7 cups (since it doesn't really steam off like other cooking methods). 
  • Cover and set valve to "sealing" position. Select "manual mode" and adjust time to 20 minutes.
  • Once cooking time is up let pressure come down naturally for at least 10 minutes then carefully quick release any remaining pressure

Notes

Tips for the Best Beef Barley Soup

  • Cut the veggies somewhat thick, they’ll simmer a long time and those carrots can tend to get too soft.
  • Brown the beef first, this adds a rich layer of flavor.
  • Let the soup simmer low and slow, so beef comes out tender.
  • Saute the tomato paste to help boost flavor and lightly caramelize it.
  • Add barley halfway through simmering for lightly chewy texture.

Possible Variations

  • Replace 1/2 cup of the broth with 1/2 cup dry red wine.
  • Add other vegetables like mushrooms, green beans, canned tomatoes, potatoes or peas. Green beans and peas can be added closer to the end.
  • If adding more veggies you may want a little more broth as well.
  • Add other herbs for more flavor like bay leaves or marjoram. Or try seasoning with Italian seasoning.
  • Use ground beef instead of chuck roast. If doing so add barley in step 6 then skip the second simmer time.
  • Try it with another grain like brown rice or farro instead of barley.