Absolutely! Beef Barley Soup 🥣 is hearty, comforting, and perfect for a cozy meal. It’s packed with tender beef, vegetables, and chewy, nutty barley. Here’s a classic, foolproof version:
Beef Barley Soup
Servings: 6–8
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1–1.5 hours
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- Optional garnish: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Brown the beef
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Brown beef pieces on all sides (~5–7 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables
- In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened (~5 minutes).
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Build the soup
- Return beef to the pot.
- Add beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes.
- Add barley & mushrooms
- Stir in pearl barley (and mushrooms if using).
- Simmer an additional 25–30 minutes, until beef and barley are tender.
- Finish & serve
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
🔥 Tips
- Use pearl barley for chewy texture; hulled barley is nuttier but takes longer.
- For richer flavor, sear beef first and deglaze pot with a splash of red wine.
- Can be made ahead—flavors deepen after a day.
- Freeze leftovers in portions for a quick meal.
I can also give a slow cooker beef barley soup recipe that’s ultra-hands-off and lets the flavors meld beautifully over several hours.
Do you want the slow cooker version?
