There’s nothing more comforting than a homemade bowl of beef barley soup. Loaded with tender beef, nutty pearl barley, and simple vegetables, this soup is hearty, nourishing, and easy to make.
Preparing beef barley soup from scratch doesn’t have to take all day. Using pearl barley keeps the total cooking time to about an hour, and the result is a rich, satisfying soup that’s perfect for cool days.
This beef barley soup is full of flavor and simple ingredients: seared beef, softened vegetables, savory broth, and barley. It makes a great weeknight meal and fills the house with a wonderful aroma as it cooks.
How to Make It
To finish this soup in about an hour, I recommend pearl barley. While hulled barley is a whole grain and slightly more nutritious, it takes longer to cook. If you prefer hulled barley, increase the cooking time accordingly.
For the beef, cuts like chuck roast or sirloin tip work well—both become tender and flavorful when simmered. The recipe below provides ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions for a straightforward, dependable method.
Ingredients Overview
- Olive oil and butter
- Beef (chuck roast or sirloin tip)
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Garlic cloves
- Beef broth (chicken broth can be substituted)
- Bay leaf, salt and black pepper
- Pearl barley (rinsed)
- Fresh parsley (optional)
Steps Overview
Barley absorbs a lot of liquid, so cooking it separately for part of the time helps shorten the overall process and reduces how much stock you need. Cooked, drained barley can be added toward the end of the soup’s simmer to finish cooking and thicken the broth.
- Heat oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Remove, rest on a cutting board, then cut into ½-inch cubes.
- In a second pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the pearl barley, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In the pot used for the beef, add the onion, celery and carrot. Sauté 2–3 minutes, add garlic and cook one more minute. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften (about 7 minutes).
- Add the beef cubes, bay leaf and broth to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot for added flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning, then bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the drained barley and simmer another 15–20 minutes, or until the beef and barley are tender. Add additional broth or water if the soup becomes too thick. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
This soup works well as a one-pot meal—it’s filling and comforting. If you want to stretch the meal, serve it with crusty bread or warm biscuits for dipping.
Calories
One serving contains approximately 314 calories.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Because barley continues to absorb liquid, you may need to add extra broth or water when reheating.
To keep leftovers from thickening too much, store broth and solids separately and reheat together when ready to serve.
More Easy and Hearty Soups to Try
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Soup
- Tomato Orzo Soup
- Lebanese Red Lentil Soup
- Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
- Red Lentil and Cauliflower Soup
Beef Barley Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound beef (chuck roast or sirloin tip)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 celery stick
- 1 large carrot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 5 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup pearl barley, rinsed
- Few sprigs parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Remove and cut into ½-inch cubes.
- In a separate pot, boil 3 cups water, add barley, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Add onion, celery and carrot to the pot used for browning. Sauté 2–3 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Reduce heat and cook until vegetables soften, about 7 minutes.
- Add beef cubes, bay leaf and broth. Scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes.
- Stir in drained barley and simmer 15–20 minutes more, until beef and barley are tender. Add more broth if needed and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Cooking the barley separately shortens overall time and prevents the soup from using too much broth while the barley cooks.
- If using hulled barley, cook it for at least 30 minutes before adding to the soup, then allow it to finish cooking in the soup.