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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
There’s something utterly satisfying about a bowl of steaming beef and barley soup on a cold day. This classic, comforting dish is easy to make. Even better, the ingredients are usually very affordable!
Don’t forget to make your own Italian Seasoning blend to use in this beef barley soup recipe! If you have a little extra time available you could also try making homemade Worcestershire Sauce for your soup!
Reader Review
Excellent soup!! Delicious as prepared. I use either low sodium or no salt broth in all recipes, yours included. Next time I plan to add more frozen mixed vegetables! This soup freezes well and was very tasty when thawed and warmed up. I will definitely make this again!!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This classic recipe is very easy to make.
- Time Needed: Approximately 60 minutes.
- Variations: Depending how big of a meal you’re needing, you could try serving this soup with rice or in bread bowls. You can adjust the amount of barley to your own tastes, add more vegetables, use a different protein, maybe even throw a splash of hot sauce in their for some spice. Try sweet potato or some type of squash instead of potatoes if you’d like even more nutritional value in there.
- Tools You’ll Need: This recipe is so simple that the you barely have to get any dishes dirty! A big soup pot, a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a mixing spoon are all you’ll really need.
What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Barley: This dried grain is usually inexpensive and easy to find.
Beef: This recipe is perfect for using cheaper, tougher cuts of beef. Stewing beef is ideal here, but you can use a different cut if you prefer.
Vegetables: This recipe calls for a russet potato, but you can use any potatoes you like.
How To Make Beef Barley Soup
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Season your beef. Heat up oil in a large soup pot and add meat and onions. Cook until meat is browned and onions are softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add Italian seasoning, cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add beef broth, canned tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring up to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat. Cook for 20 minutes, until beef is tender.
- Add barley, potatoes, and celery. Cook for 15 more minutes. Add frozen veggies and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Add more broth or seasonings if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Perfect Beef Barley Soup
Try adding a splash of red wine or dark beer to your beef when you’re browning it. Just like for a beef stew, the wine or beer add a whole other dimension of flavour. All the alcohol gets burned off, don’t worry.
Fresh Vegetables: Frozen vegetables are easy to use and cook quickly, but if you’d rather use fresh ones just adjust your cooking time accordingly. If you use fresh carrots, for example, you’ll want to cut them into very small pieces and add them when you add the potatoes, so that they aren’t still crunchy by the end.
Use a Slow Cooker: Like many soup recipes, this is one that would be great made in a slow cooker! In fact, it’s a great way to ensure that your barley gets fully cooked and tender. Just brown your beef and onions in a pan first and then get all of your ingredients into the slow cooker. Add those frozen veggies close to the end of the cooking time so that they don’t get mushy, or use fresh ones that would take longer to cook anyway..
Storage Instructions
Fridge: This soup can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for several months. You can also freeze individual portions in small containers or a silicone mold and then put those portions into airtight freezer bags. That way, you take up less freezer space and you’ve got an easy meal to quickly reheat as needed.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Looking for more delicious Soup recipes? Try these out:
Don’t love beef? Try this Chicken Barley Soup. Or check out this Vegetable Beef Soup if it’s the barley you’d like to skip.
Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup and Pumpkin Lentil Soup are a couple more hearty, yummy meals. The options are endless.
There you have it, friends. This is the kind of soup that everyone should have frozen and ready in their freezer for when they need a comforting, easy meal at home! Hearty, simple, and inexpensive. Try it and let me know how it turns out.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Beef Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds stewing meat , (cut up small)
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup white onion , (finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- one 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 6-7 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 1 large Russet potato, (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1 cup frozen vegetables
- ⅔ cup barley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot, then add in the beef and white onion, frying until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion has softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until browned and fragrant. Add in the Italian seasoning and heat for another 30 seconds.
- Pour some of the beef broth into the bottom of the pan and deglaze the bottom.
- Add in the rest of the broth, then the canned tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot.
- Bring to a low simmer, then reduce the heat and cover.
- Cook for 20 minutes until the beef starts to become tender.
- Add in the barley.
- Add in the potatoes and celery and cook for another 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the frozen vegetables and cook for 10 minutes more until the barley and the veggies are tender.
- Add more broth if the soup is too thick at this point. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jeffrey says
This is my go-to beef & barley soup recipe. It’s a whole meal really.
Yvette Lass says
Excellent soup!! Delicious as prepared. I use either low sodium or no salt broth in all recipes, yours included. Next time I plan to add more frozen mixed vegetables! This soup freezes well and was very tasty when thawed and warmed up. I will definitely make this again!!
Sandy Maddess says
I made this soup yesterday and we had it for dinner last night and will again tonight. It is just fantastic and so very filling. I will pass this on for sure as it will be so handy if you felt like a delicious soup.
Thank you so very much for the recipe.
Yvette Lass says
1/20/25 Made this soup today and loved the results. I used a pound of stew meat since that I all I had. I cut it up into small pieces before sautéing the meat and onions. Once fully assembled ,I simmered for 20 minutes longer before adding mixed veggies and finished off the cooking. I added a 7th cup of broth once soup was done. Had a bowl for my dinner. It was delicious. I will make this again!. I always use low or no sodium broth and salt sparingly
Nj says
Thanks for letting us see all comments too! Taste of Home won’t let me see any comments on my browser! (Windows 11!)
Also thanks for sending recipes! Sure beats trying to copy and paste into an email to myself!
Valerie says
Can I make this in a slow cooker ?
Brenda says
oops,sorry i asked the question about freezing.I read the entire article and saw it can be frozen. it looks delicious.Think i will give it a whirl.
June says
Can y0u use chop meat?
Brenda says
Can you freeze this??
Barbara Gilloren says
How long should u cook in instant pot. Can’t wait to make this beef barley soup, love all your recipes. Thank You
Linda Sorensen says
could venison be used instead of beef?