Beef Barley Soup
Updated Jun 28, 2025
This beef and barley soup is made with cubes of beef, pearled barley, carrots, onions, and celery, all simmered down in a tomato-y beef broth.
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My Beef and barely soup is so good!
I make this beef and barley soup a lot during the colder months. It is one of those meals that feels like it takes all day to cook, but really, once everything’s in the pot, it just does its thing. It takes me about 15 minutes of prep time, and the stovetop does the rest!
Sometimes I’ll make a batch on Sunday and just reheat it throughout the week.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Beef Barley Soup Ingredients
- Beef: I usually purchase a whole beef chuck roast and cut it into cubes, but you can also pick up pre-cut beef cubes to save time.
- Beef stock: Any brand will do!
- Barley: I like to use pearled barley for this soup.
- Vegetables: Carrots, celery, onions, and crushed tomatoes are my go-to veggies for this recipe, but if you’re looking to add in extra veg, potatoes, peas, mushrooms, and kale are all delicious additions to this soup.
- Seasoning: I use Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to bring out the flavor of the soup but you can add in some cayenne or red pepper flakes for extra spice.
How to Make Beef Barley Soup
Beef Barley Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound beef chuck cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 onion diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 cup pearled barley
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven and place over medium high heat for 1 minute. While the oil heats up, season the beef all over with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Once the oil is shimmering, add beef cubes. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beef is seared all over. Remove from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add onion, carrot and celery to the Dutch oven and season with remaining salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, scraping up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add Italian seasoning and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to coat all of the vegetables. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add crushed tomatoes and stock, stirring to scrape up any more brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add beef to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, add pearled barley, cover again and cook for an additional 1 hour, or until both the beef and the barley are tender.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Make your soup ahead of time. Like most braised dishes, this soup is even better the next day. While it does take a while to cook, most of the time is hands-off so if you want to serve this for a special event or a dinner party, make it ahead, then just reheat it gently in the slow cooker the next day for a super easy meal!
- Don’t skimp on the stock. Use a good quality beef stock for maximum flavor.
- Let it simmer. This is not a quick soup! The longer the soup simmers, the more flavorful and thick it will become. Once you’ve got all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, let the soup simmer for at least 2 hours.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with rolls. When you’ve got a rich, meaty soup, of course you need some good bread to soak up all that flavor. My go-to option is a tray of homemade buttery skillet rolls. They’re the perfect, lightly decadent way to mop up that last drop of soup in your bowl.
- Add in a side salad. This braised, umami soup definitely calls for a light green salad to pair. I like to make a big classic bowl of green goddess salad to add some freshness (and greenery) to the table.
- Top with croutons. For a little extra crunch, I’m a huge fan of topping soups with chunky homemade croutons! They look great in the bowl, help soak up the soup, and lend an extra element of carby richness to the dish. Best of all, my croutons are super easy to make!
FAQs
You’ll want to let your soup cool before transferring it to a container and storing it in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, transfer it to a pot on the stovetop and heat over medium-low until warmed through. You can also transfer it to a slow cooker, set it to low, and let it heat for 2-3 hours. Or, for the fastest option, you can reheat individual bowls of soup in the microwave.
Yes! The barley may lose some of its texture, but freezing the soup will preserve its flavor for up to 3 months. Just store it in an airtight container in the freezer, and transfer it directly to a sauce pan when you’re ready to thaw and heat.
Yes, you can make this recipe in the slow cooker! For best results, brown the beef and sauté the vegetables on the stovetop before transferring them to your slow cooker. Then add all of your remaining ingredients, minus the barley, and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Add the barley for the last hour of cooking.
The long cooking time of the soup will be enough to cook the barley, making it tender and delicious!
This is one of those recipes where you may need to adjust the cooking time based on your oven and the meat you’re working with. The best way to test is with a fork: you want the beef to be tender and easy to pull apart with a fork. If it’s still tough, continue simmering until it’s tender.
Comments
Would love to try this recipe today..love ur recipes
Aw, thank you, Asma! Let me know what you think of it, and enjoy!
I am becoming a great cook using your recipies and my WIFE loves it.
Aw, thank you so much! I am flattered that you’re using my recipes to further your culinary skill!