Beef and barley soup is thick, hearty, and full of umami and rich beef flavor. The perfect soup to cozy up with on a colder day, it tastes even better on day 2!
When the weather is cold, there is just nothing like a hearty bowl of soup or stew to warm you up! Like our favorite Tuscan chicken stew, this beef barley soup is like a hug in a bowl: comforting, nourishing, and so delicious!
This soup recipe is packed full of hearty beef and barley, but also carrots, celery and the most deliciously rich broth! For depth of flavor, we add garlic, thyme, butter and worcestershire sauce to the beef; the worcestershire in particular really adds that umami and pulls out even more flavor from humble (and affordable) stewing beef cubes.
Loved by both kids and adults, this is a great one to make ahead- it freezes well and tastes even better after sitting overnight in the fridge. Don't you just love it when that happens?
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Why You'll Love this Beef Barley Soup Recipe
- it is hearty and comforting, but still packed with healthy ingredients
- it is freezer-friendly and tastes even better on day 2
- the beef ends up so tender and the barley has a nice chewy texture to it
- the broth is rich and buttery, beefy, and perfectly seasoned
Watch: Beef and Barley Stew
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this beef and barley soup. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Beef Barley Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Beef- we are using stewing beef cubes in this recipe, but I find that they can sometimes be too large to eat in a soup. I recommend trimming them down into ½ inch or so cubes to make them easier and more enjoyable to eat- this way you get beef in every bite!
- Vegetables- onion, carrots and celery add flavor and nutrition to the soup; I find them more pleasant to eat when they are chopped small (see photo above).
- Worcestershire sauce- this adds umami and pulls even more flavor out of the beef; do not skip! If you can't find worcestershire sauce, soy sauce may work as an alternative
- Beef broth- I normally keep chicken stock on hand, but for this recipe, you're going to want beef broth for that deep, rich flavor. You can also use homemade bone broth made with beef bones (adjust salt as needed).
- Barley- I've used pearl barley for this recipe; this is the most readily available type at the grocery store. Quick barley and other types of barley will have different cook times.
How to Make Beef Barley Soup
1. Sauté beef- Melt butter over medium heat in a large (4 quart or larger; this makes a big batch and a small pot is not recommended) pot. Add beef cubes, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until browned all over.
2. Add worcestershire- Drizzle worcestershire sauce all over the beef; toss to coat and simmer for one minute.
3. Add vegetables- Next, add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, until softened.
4. Add other ingredients- Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, beef stock and barley to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for one hour, or until barley is cooked through.
5. Finishing touches- Remove the bay leaf, and taste. Adjust salt as needed. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread, and enjoy!
How to Store Beef and Barley Soup
- fridge- store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- freezer- portion out into freezer- safe jars, souper cubes, or other containers. Cool completely before freezing. This soup may be frozen for up to 6 months.
- thawing- thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours, you can speed this process by allowing it to sit in a bowl of cold water for several hours.
- reheat- heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot; reheat larger portions in a pot on the stove at medium heat. Stir occasionally, and cook for 15- 20 minutes, until steaming hot.
FAQ
I used a cheap cut of stewing beef, which is why the recipe calls for a long simmering time. This soup is the perfect opportunity to use the cheaper cuts of beef, which require long cook times to get them nice and tender.
Since barley has gluten, this soup is not gluten-free. You could swap for quinoa (add it in during the last 20 minutes of cook time) for a gluten-free version. Also be sure you can find a certified gluten-free worcestershire sauce!
Serving suggestions
This soup is a complete meal, with protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates. With that being said, you could serve it with:
- A loaf of crusty bread for dunking
- Crackers
- A side salad
- Biscuits or savory scones (like these butternut squash scones)
- Roasted vegetables
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Beef and Barley Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 1 lb stewing beef trim into ¾ inch cubes
- salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots chopped into small (½ inch) pieces
- 2 ribs celery chopped into small (½ inch) pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 8 cups beef stock
- ½ cup pearl barley see note 1
Instructions
- Sauté beef- Melt butter over medium heat in a large (4 quart or larger; this makes a big batch and a small pot is not recommended) pot. Add beef cubes, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until browned all over.
- Add worcestershire- Drizzle worcestershire sauce all over the beef; toss to coat and simmer for one minute.
- Add vegetables- Next, add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, until softened.
- Add other ingredients- Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, beef stock and barley to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for one hour, or until barley is cooked through.
- Finishing touches- Remove the bay leaf, and taste. Adjust salt as needed. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread, and enjoy!
Tips:
- fridge- store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- freezer- portion out into freezer- safe jars, souper cubes, or other containers. Cool completely before freezing. This soup may be frozen for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Kathy says
We loved this recipe! We will change it up a little next time....and there will definitely be a next time! We love soup & eat a lot of it......we will do 3x as much barley and cut the broth back to 4 cups. We had way too much broth.
Sherry Wood says
Delicious, i left out the thyme leaves and bay leaf as i dont like the taste of thyme leaves and was delicious ! Used a little extra beef too !
Jessica says
This turned out delicious and I love that it makes 8 servings!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Jessica, amazing, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a rating and review 🙂
Wendy L Anderson says
How big would you say a single serving is? One cup?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Wendy, a single serving of soup is about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups. I hope that helps!
Sharon Hess says
Hi Denise I made the soup tonight and added the quick barley the last 10 min. and it turned out great. My Husband said next time add more barley. Also added frozen peas.
Denise Bustard says
That's so great to hear! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Sharon Hess says
Hi Denise Can I use quick pearled barley and just add it the last 10 min
Denise Bustard says
Hi Sharon! I've never heard of or tried cooking with quick pearled barley, so unfortunately I'm not sure on the cook time. Let me know if you give it a try!
Jamie says
This was absolutely delicious! I am on a low sodium diet and this recipe as written is a whopping 864mg per serving. I used unsalted butter, low sodium beef broth, and didn't add any salt to the beef or soup pot. It was not bland and I think that cut the sodium in half. I would make this recipe again, for sure!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Jamie! I'm so happy to hear you were able to make this low sodium to fit your diet. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review with your modifications, that's so helpful!
Peggy Allen says
This recipe is simple and delicious.
Denise says
Hi Peggy! So happy to hear you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Karen says
My husband and I both enjoy a good hearty soup, and this is it! Tastey, filling, and satisfying. We'll make this again!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for your review, Karen 🙂
Kristen Parker says
Ever do this in a crock pot?
Denise says
I haven't tried, so I'm not sure how long you'd need to cook and if the barley can go in from the start. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes for you!
Peter Nguyen says
Hi thank you so much for the recipe. Just a quick question regarding freezer storage, do we just let the soup cool down and then pop it into a container and then freezer?
Also what about instructions for thawing? do we just thaw in fridge overnight and heat it up in a pot?
Denise says
Hi Peter! Yes! To freeze: cool, portion out into storage containers and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight OR you can dump it into a pot (if it loosens from the storage container enough), then thaw/reheat.