Description
This **Hearty Beef and Barley Soup** is the ultimate comfort food. With tender beef, earthy pearl barley, classic vegetables, and a rich broth, this one-pot meal is both nourishing and satisfying. Perfect for chilly nights, meal prep, or freezer-friendly dinners, it’s one of the best beef barley soup recipes you can keep on hand. Flexible for stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into chunks
- 1 cup pearl barley (or hulled barley for chewier texture)
- 8 cups beef stock (homemade or store-bought)
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Optional: 1 can kidney beans or white beans, drained
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sear beef chunks until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same pot, add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add Broth & Barley: Stir in beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, and barley. Return beef to the pot.
- Simmer: Cover and simmer gently for 60–90 minutes, until beef is tender and barley is cooked.
- Adjust & Serve: Remove bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- Pearl barley cooks faster, while hulled barley offers more nutrition and chew.
- Homemade beef stock makes the flavor richer, but store-bought works fine.
- Add beans for a beef bean and barley variation.
- Soup tastes even better the next day—perfect for make-ahead meals.
- For slow cooker: Cook on low 6–8 hours. For Instant Pot: Pressure cook 30 minutes, natural release.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Soups, Comfort Food, One-Pot Meals, Dinner
- Method: Stovetop, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American, European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: Beef and Barley Soup, Hearty Soup, Barley Recipe, Beef Soup, Winter Soup, Comfort Food