Hearty Beef Barley Soup

A rich, comforting soup loaded with tender beef, wholesome barley, and vegetables. It’s perfect for chilly days and tastes even better the next day.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ pounds (680 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (optional)
• ¾ cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Brown the Beef

• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
• Brown the beef in batches for 5–7 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.

2. Sauté the Vegetables

• Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot.
• Cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

3. Build the Soup

• Return the beef to the pot.
• Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf.
• Pour in the beef broth and diced tomatoes (if using).
• Bring to a boil.

4. Simmer

• Reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer for 60 minutes.

5. Add the Barley

• Stir in the pearl barley and mushrooms (if using).
• Continue simmering for 40–45 minutes, or until the barley is tender and the beef is fork-tender.

6. Finish

• Stir in the frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Remove the bay leaf.
• Stir in the fresh parsley.
• Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Slow Cooker Version

1. Brown the beef and sauté the onions and garlic (recommended for best flavor).
2. Transfer everything except the barley, peas, and parsley to the slow cooker.
3. Cook on Low for 7–8 hours or High for 4–5 hours.
4. Stir in the barley during the last 60–90 minutes of cooking.
5. Add the peas during the final 10 minutes and stir in the parsley before serving.

Instant Pot Version

1. Use Sauté mode to brown the beef and cook the vegetables.
2. Add the remaining ingredients except the peas and parsley.
3. Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes.
4. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
5. Stir in the peas and parsley before serving.

Serving Suggestions

• Crusty artisan bread
• Garlic bread
• Buttery dinner rolls
• Simple green salad
• Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Tips

• Chuck roast cut into cubes gives the richest flavor.
• Pearl barley is ideal because it cooks faster than hulled barley.
• If the soup thickens after refrigeration, stir in extra beef broth when reheating.
• For a deeper flavor, add a splash of red wine after sautéing the vegetables and let it reduce before adding the broth.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Note that the barley will continue to absorb liquid, so you may want to add extra broth when reheating.

Approximate Nutrition (Per Serving)

• Calories: 360
• Protein: 28 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fat: 16 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 5 g
• Sodium: 620 mg