Beef and Barley Soup is a stick-to-the-ribs soup that you’re going to love. Are you ready for a wonderful tasting soup to warm you up on all these icy, cold days and nights? This soup’s for you! My husband ate bowls and bowls of this tasty soup last week when I made it.

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The recipe isn’t overly difficult except that it calls for grated or shredded carrots AND potatoes. If you have a food processor this recipe is a snap. I added mushrooms to the original recipe and would have added leeks but didn’t have them to work with until after I’d already made the soup. In additional to stew beef and barley, this soup also contains onions, garlic and celery. It uses beef base rather than regular beef bouillon and it adds a lot more flavor than plain beef bouillon in my opinion.

I will make one recommendation when using this bouillon base. Use only scant (not rounded or heaping) tablespoonfuls or the flavor will overwhelm your soup. I also recommend cooking the barley for at least the 30 minute minimum. 45-60 minutes is probably a little better so the barley is not gummy but cooks all the way through.

I added 4 cups more of water when I added the barley because a lot of the soup had cooked down. This soup is good for what ails you and perfect on days when you want nothing more than hot soup and bread to eat all day.

Except for the fact that barley has gluten in it, this recipe would be gluten free. Even still, it’s a delicious recipe that your family is sure to love. If you’re looking for a fantastic Beef and Barley Soup recipe this one will do it. I recommend adding leeks because they would add some extra flavor.

While I cooked this on top of the stove, you can easily throw these ingredients in the crockpot and let the meat cook for a couple of hours, then add the veggies and cook another hour, and finally add the barley and let it cook until done. Prepare for some compliments when you serve up this soup to your family!

Beef and Barley Soup has wonderful flavor. My husband couldn’t stop eating this when I served it!

This tasty soup is filled with beef, veggies and barley and has an exceptionally good, savory flavor due to the bouillon base.

Even reheated, this soup just gets better! It’s delicious with Sweet Potato Cornbread. 🙂

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients. I intended to add leeks as well, but I was busy with other things and my husband didn’t get home from the store until after the stew was made.

Pour olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add about 1/3 of the meat and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Brown beef in batches (otherwise if you try to do it all at once the mixture steams instead of browning). Remove beef to a plate and fry the remaining stew beef (salted and peppered), in two more batches.

Add water.

Add 3 scant tablespoons of bouillon base. Not overflowing spoonfuls like you see here!

Add onions, celery and garlic. Simmer, covered for a minimum of 2 hours, or until beef is tender. If you have leeks, add them here.

Add shredded carrots, potatoes, and sliced mushrooms. Cover and simmer another 45 minutes or until veggies are fork tender.

Add barley. (I also added an additional 4 cups of water). Cover and simmer a minimum of 30 minutes. You may need 45-60 minutes before the barley is completely cooked through.

This is one of those soups that actually tastes a little better if you cook it a little longer because the bouillon base has a chance to do it’s work and permeate all the meat, veggies and barley.

Serve Beef and Barley Soup with your favorite biscuits or bread.

This close up allows you to see all the savory beef and barley.

Beef and Barley Soup is perfect for chilly nights when you want a hot meal to warm you up!

I served Beef and Barley Soup with Sweet Potato Cornbread. 

Here’s the recipe.

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

(Recipe adapted from The Food Charlatan)

Beef and Barley Soup

Teresa Ambra

Beef and Barley Soup is sensational. This delicious soup is flavored with a beef base that makes it spectacular. It's hearty, filling and totally satisfying. Terrific main dish for cool, winter nights with a loaf of homemade bread! You can also make this soup in the slow cooker.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Soups, Stews & Chowders

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 377 kcal

Equipment

• 1 large stock pot with lid
• 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 vegetable peeler

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 1/2 lbs. stew beef cut in bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp. Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 10-14 cups water
• 3 scant tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
• 3 ribs celery diced, (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium white onions diced
• 3/4 tsp. minced garlic from a jar or two cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 large potato peeled and shredded, (about 2 cups, or 2 small potatoes)
• 3-4 large carrots peeled and shredded, (about 2 cups)
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup Quaker barley rinsed
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley minced, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

• In a large stock pot, add olive oil and heat.
• Add beef.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Brown beef in oil in three or four batches so the meat browns well but doesn’t steam from overcrowding the meat.
• Set each batch on a plate as it cooks.
• Add beef back into the stockpot with 10 cups water, bouillon beef base, celery, onions and garlic and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or longer until beef is tender.
• Add carrots, potatoes and mushrooms and cook an additional 30-45 minutes or until carrots are fork tender.
• Add additional water if soup has cooked down a lot. (I added 4 cups).
• Add barley and cook an additional 30 minutes or until barley is cooked through. This may take an hour or so.
• Check seasonings.
• Add parsley for garnish, if desired.

Notes

NOTE: I recommend using 3 scant tablespoons of bouillon base (or less). Otherwise the salt in the beef base will overwhelm the soup and be too strong.

 

NOTE: I wanted to add leeks to this soup but didn’t have any at the time. I recommend adding leeks for improved flavor.

 

NOTE: If you want to make this in the crockpot, you can add the meat, salt, pepper, water and beef base and cook for a few hours on high until the meat is tender. Then add the veggies and cook an additional hour to an hour and a half until veggies are tender. Add barley and cook about an hour or until it tastes done. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with parsley, if desired. (The olive oil will not be needed).

 

NOTE: This soup is actually better reheated as the savory flavors permeate the soup even more. Add more water, if necessary.

 

Recipe adapted from The Food Charlatan.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 37gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 465mgPotassium: 1051mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4740IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 5mg

Keyword barley, beef, main dish, soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Beef and Barley Soup is savory and delicious. It’s even better with a batch of Sweet Potato Cornbread!

We found Beef and Barley Soup was actually better when we reheated it for leftovers. You will have to add a little water, though.

Warm yourself up with this fantastic soup this winter.

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Cabbage Roll Soup

Herbed Beef Stew

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Beef and Barley Soup

Teresa Ambra

Beef and Barley Soup is sensational. This delicious soup is flavored with a beef base that makes it spectacular. It’s hearty, filling and totally satisfying. Terrific main dish for cool, winter nights with a loaf of homemade bread! You can also make this soup in the slow cooker.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Soups, Stews & Chowders

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 377 kcal

Equipment

• 1 large stock pot with lid
• 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 vegetable peeler

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 1/2 lbs. stew beef cut in bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp. Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 10-14 cups water
• 3 scant tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
• 3 ribs celery diced, (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium white onions diced
• 3/4 tsp. minced garlic from a jar or two cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 large potato peeled and shredded, (about 2 cups, or 2 small potatoes)
• 3-4 large carrots peeled and shredded, (about 2 cups)
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup Quaker barley rinsed
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley minced, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

• In a large stock pot, add olive oil and heat.
• Add beef.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Brown beef in oil in three or four batches so the meat browns well but doesn’t steam from overcrowding the meat.
• Set each batch on a plate as it cooks.
• Add beef back into the stockpot with 10 cups water, bouillon beef base, celery, onions and garlic and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or longer until beef is tender.
• Add carrots, potatoes and mushrooms and cook an additional 30-45 minutes or until carrots are fork tender.
• Add additional water if soup has cooked down a lot. (I added 4 cups).
• Add barley and cook an additional 30 minutes or until barley is cooked through. This may take an hour or so.
• Check seasonings.
• Add parsley for garnish, if desired.

Notes

NOTE: I recommend using 3 scant tablespoons of bouillon base (or less). Otherwise the salt in the beef base will overwhelm the soup and be too strong.

 

NOTE: I wanted to add leeks to this soup but didn’t have any at the time. I recommend adding leeks for improved flavor.

 

NOTE: If you want to make this in the crockpot, you can add the meat, salt, pepper, water and beef base and cook for a few hours on high until the meat is tender. Then add the veggies and cook an additional hour to an hour and a half until veggies are tender. Add barley and cook about an hour or until it tastes done. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with parsley, if desired. (The olive oil will not be needed).

 

NOTE: This soup is actually better reheated as the savory flavors permeate the soup even more. Add more water, if necessary.

 

Recipe adapted from The Food Charlatan.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 37gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 465mgPotassium: 1051mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4740IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 5mg

Keyword barley, beef, main dish, soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!