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Beef Barley Soup

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Beef Barley Soup is a delectable combination of beef, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, corn and barley in a deliciously seasoned beef broth.  This delicious soup can be made quickly with stew or simmered low and slow with chuck roast.

My husband and son are crazy about this Beef and Barley soup!  They just can not get enough of it!

Beef Barley Soup

 

I love soup.  The cool days of Autumn are beginning to move in and there is just something wonderful and comforting about a nice big stockpot full of soup.  Albeit if you are little crazy like me soup is good any time of the year.  This Beef Barley Soup is sure to become one of your families favorites.  I have used both beef chuck roast (my preferred way) and stew meat. Both are delicious albeit a little different in the end result.  You are sure to love the combination of beef, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, corn and barley in a deliciously seasoned beef broth.   How can you argue with a scrumptious nutritious bowl of absolute goodness?

What is barley and where can I find it?

So you ask what is barley? Barley is a wonderfully versatile cereal grain with a rich nut like flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency.  In fact if you did not know better you would swear it was pasta. In most grocery stores it is in the soup aisle and is packed in a box about the same size as a pasta box.  It simmers and swells just like pasta does in soup.  There are two kinds,  Medium Barley and Quick Barley.  Medium Barley cooks in about forty-five minutes and Quick Barley cooks in about twelve minutes.  I use the medium version with the chuck roast when things are more leisurely.  I use the quick version with the stew meat when I am pressed for time.

Beef and Barley Soup

How to make Beef Barley Soup Recipe

In a large stockpot or dutch oven add a little oil and  brown the chuck roast or stew meat. Remove from the heat and add a little more oil.  Add the carrots, onions and celery and cook for about five minutes.  Stir in the garlic, parsley, oregano and thyme and cook for just a minute or so stirring constantly.  Finally add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and beef back to the pot.

If using chuck roast simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is fork tender.  If using stew meat simmer for about 20 minutes

Add the corn and the barley. Cook until the barley is tender. Use the medium barley with the chuck roast and it will take about 45 minutes for the barley to swell and be soft. Use the quick barley with the stew meat and it will take about 15 minutes for the barley to cook.

Remove the roast from the pot and trim cutting the tender beef away from any gristle or fat.  Cut or shred into bite size chunks and return to the pot.

Beef Barley Soup Recipe

What cut of beef is best for Beef Barley Soup?

My personal favorite is the chuck roast. This cut is from the shoulder muscles. At first this cut will seem quite tough but over the course of cooking it will break down into succulent tender wonderfully flavored pieces of beef. The chuck roast derives a lot of its rich taste from the fat and the connective tissue.  You can either cut the chuck into bite size pieces or better yet sear it, drop the whole chuck in the stockpot and let it simmer for a couple of hours.

When it is fork tender remove it from the soup and trim it.  Cutting the delicious meat away from the fat and unwanted gristle.  Return those delicious bites of simmered beef back to the soup. Other cuts that you could use are Round roasts, rump roasts, and pot roasts. I have learned that various regions have different names for cuts of beef.

Stew meat is by far the fastest but not always the tastiest. If you choose the stew meat start with pieces that are visually similar, are of a consistent size, and have a fair amount of white striping (fat and connective tissue) throughout as this will give it more flavor.

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

Helpful hints on making this Beef Barley Soup awesome.

  1. If you have the time use the chuck roast.  It has more flavor and will be more tender.
  2. Sear the beef in a little oil.
  3. If you are preparing for company peel the carrots.  They have a much nicer appearance peeled and after all food should be aesthetically appealing.
  4. Use low sodium beef broth so salt does not become the dominant seasoning.
  5. If you like a lot of flavor add plenty of fresh cracked pepper and a couple pinches of Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
  6. Do not overcook the barley as it will get too mushy if allowed to simmer and simmer.

Other soup recipes you will love!

This post was originally published October 10, 2016 and was republished November 14, 2018 with new content.

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Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup

★★★★★

5 from 21 reviews

This Beef Barley soup is made with tender slow cooked chuck roast, lots of nutritious vegetables and slightly sweet nutty barley.

  • Author: Beth Pierce
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2–3 lbs chuck roast
  • 2 carrots sliced in thin rounds
  • 2 stalks celery sliced thin
  • 1 medium onion chopped fine
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 6 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2/3 cup medium Barley
  • 1 can corn drained (14.5 ounce)

Instructions

  1. In dutch oven or large stockpot heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add beef and sear. Remove beef to a plate.
  2. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, oregano and thyme and cook for just 1 minute; stirring constantly.  Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and beef back to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is fork tender. Add barley and corn; cover with lid for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue simmering for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove roast from the pot and trim cutting the beef away from any gristle or fat.  Cut or shred into bite size chunks and return to the pot.

Notes

If using beef stew and quick barley reduce the simmer time on the the beef to 20 minutes and the simmer time on the barley covered to 10 minutes and uncovered 5 minutes.

Keywords: barley soup, beef soup, soup, comfort food, beef barley soup, soup using chuck roast

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Daniel Brace

    I am curious to know if you were ever Smalltowngirl on aol. If you were then we were once online friends Doubtful but, possible Does the name Isadorea mean anything to you. I am not a stalker. Just wondering if I have found an old online acquaintance. MAking the soup tomorrow. I love barley.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. Sarah N

    When using a Chuck roast when do you shred it all? Or did I miss something and you cooked the roast first?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Beth Pierce

      You are most correct Sarah. I am missing a step in that recipe. Thanks for the heads up. I will add it right now.

      Reply

  3. Shirlet

    Do you have a recipe for a homemade beef broth. I know about roasting the bones for flavour. Even shank meat is expensive now. Any ideas to keep costs down?

    Reply

      • Wayne

        Anytime I have “leftover beef bones, fat, trimmings” as when trimming ribs, roasts, steaks, I freeze them for stock. Once you’ve accumulated a nice “stash”, defrost, and roast in a 375 oven until nicely browned….I then add them to a stockpot of simmering water along with 1 whole unpeeled Onion, as many unpeeled cloves of Garlic as you like, 1 or 2 Bay Leaves, and 1 or 2 whole stalks of Celery. Simmer, covered, for at least 2 hours ( the longer, the richer), skimming any fat/residue from the surface occasionally. Strain….cool broth….it’s ready to use immediately or freeze for future! Saves $$$’s, and there’s NOTHING like homemade!

        Reply

    • Beth Pierce

      I have not tried this recipe in a crock pot. Please let me know if you try and if you have any suggestions. I love to let my readers know.

      Reply

      • susan anderson

        I seared meat and veggies and de glazed with red Merlot wine then threw in crock pot with spices and no sodium beef broth. I did have to cook meat longer so put meat in alone first 1 hour. Pearl barley..oh so wondeeful and making it again just a week later. At the end I used kitchen scissors to cut meat up and remove any fat. Also use special chuck roast from Butcher box. Its organoc hormon free and humanely raised. Wonderful meal

        Reply

  5. Jen

    This is just pure comfort food! Love serving this with a big piece of crusty bread. It’s so good!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  19. Diana Zander

    I use a rump roast cooked in a crock pot. I save all my left over gravy and beef juices in the freezer and when I have a quart or two saved I make soup! I use bay leaves and fresh rosemary to season the stock, and use onions, carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, peas and celery. Instead of tomatoes I use V-8 vegetable juice, it adds a great flavor!!

    Reply

  20. Dorothy

    Made this soup yesterday with all but the corn because I didn’t have any. House smelled amazing and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  22. Brian Keating

    I’m a little confused on how to cook the beef. Sear it or fully cook the beef 1st ? It look so good and I want to make it this weekend and I don’t want to mess it up on my 1st try !! The reason I ask is because of this question that was posted earlier i.e.
    ” When using a Chuck roast when do you shred it all ? Or did I miss something and you cooked the roast first ? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Beth Pierce

      Sorry about the delay. I have been a little under the weather with a bad cold. First you are just going to sear the beef. Then you are going to add it to the soup to slowly simmer. Once it is fork tender…remove just the beef and shred it while also removing the fat and gristle. I hope this helps.

      Reply

  30. Theresa Glass

    I made this soup with two exceptions: no beef, just beef broth, and chili spiced tomatoes instead of regular. My kids are vegetarian. The beef broth may be pushing it, but this soup was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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