Beef and Barley Soup

Name: Beef and Barley Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided); 2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided, I recommend Diamond Crystal); ¾ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground); 8 ounces button mushrooms (sliced); 1½ pounds chuck roast (or beef for stew, cut into ½" dice); 2 stalks celery (½" dice); 1 medium onion (chopped); 3 medium parsnips (½" dice); 3 medium carrots (peeled and cut into bite-sized ½" coins); 1 large clove garlic (minced); ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 15 ounces diced tomatoes in their juice; ½ teaspoon dried basil; 1 bay leaf; 8 cups low sodium beef broth or stock (preferably homemade (recipe on this site)); 4 cups kale (tough stems removed, chopped); ¾ cup whole pearl barley; 1½ teaspoons browning sauce or Gravy master (optional)

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Inside: How to recreate and customize grandma’s beef barley recipe for soup using tender beef, your favorite veggies and mushrooms as well as fiber-rich barley.

This beef barley soup recipe comes together in just over an hour, packed with tender chunks of beef, wholesome fiber-rich barley, and a rich, savory broth. If you’re looking for a beef barley soup recipe to feed the whole family, this is a comforting, homemade classic that tastes like it came from grandma’s kitchen.

Beef barley vegetable soup in a white bowl.

There is nothing glitzy or glamorous about this soup. It’s a warm, homey, comforting meal that nourishes and satiates you and your family. A whole pot can be ready in just over an hour.

This beef barley soup recipe is based on my grandmother Myne’s classic version and includes chunks of beef chuck roast, mushrooms, tender pearl barley and a bevy of vegetables.

Just like my grandmother made. She would serve it with Cheddar Chive Popovers or 3-Ingredient Drop Biscuits, but it’s also good with Parmesan Buttermilk Biscuits and Irish Scones.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Fast and Flavorful – Ready in just over an hour, this soup develops deep, rich flavors quickly.
Nutritious and Filling – Packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins, it’s a wholesome meal in a bowl.
Simple Ingredients – Uses a mix of fresh vegetables and pantry staples for convenience.
Versatile – Swap ingredients based on what you have on hand or your dietary needs.

Ingredients for beef and barley soup:

Beef–I prefer a beef chuck roast; if you can find one with the bone, it will add extra flavor and body to the soup. Beef chuck roast has more connective tissue than other cuts, which breaks down as the soup simmers, tenderizing the meat and lending a collagen-rich satiny mouth feel to the broth.
Mushrooms–either white button mushrooms or cremini work well here.
Onions–I prefer yellow onion, but white or red will work in a pinch.
Carrots–add a sweet quality to the soup, and they’re part of a standard mirepoix. I use large carrots and cut them into bite-sized coins or half moons, depending on the size of the root vegetable.
Celery–to add another layer of aromatics.
Parsnips–this root vegetable looks like a white carrot but has a stronger vegetal flavor. They should be peeled with a vegetable peeler before cutting into chunks.
Fresh Garlic Cloves–one large minced clove or two small cloves is enough to enhance the aromas and flavors.
Dried Oregano–I order most of my dried spices from Penzey’s. {not an affiliate, just a fan}. Their quality and prices are the best (and they always include a free sample of some fun spice mix).
Dried Basil–the dried herbs give layers of flavor to the soup.
Bay leaves–to smell a dried bay leaf, you’d think it has a menthol quality, which might seem weird to add to a savory dish, but for whatever reason, it works. If you leave them out, the dish somehow doesn’t taste complete — and in our house, we call them “lucky” bay leaves and whoever gets the leaf in their bowl is the winner.
Canned Diced Tomatoes–with their juices. I prefer the petite-diced variety for soups unless I plan to puree them. Regular diced tomatoes work, too; the chunks are just larger.
Low-Sodium Beef Broth— Soups require some simmering time, which reduces and concentrates the liquids, so using full-sodium broth will taste too salty. To avoid that, I only buy low-sodium broth or use this Instant Pot Bone Broth made with beef neck bones.
Kale–I use curly kale, which holds up well in the broth, maintaining some texture and chew. If you prefer spinach, you can make the swap or skip it altogether. Spinach wilts faster than kale and doesn’t require as much simmer time.
Barley–I used pearl barley, which takes about 30 minutes to cook. You can save on simmering time by using quick-cooking barley, which only takes 10-15 minutes.
Browning Sauce–like Kitchen Bouquet, Maggi or Gravy Master, optional. I use it to add a deeper, richer color to the beef and barley vegetable soup broth.

Step-by-step instructions:

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sauté the mushrooms, seasoning with a little salt to draw out the liquid in the fungi. Cook until the mushrooms have browned and given up most of their water and transfer to a separate bowl.

2. Cut the chuck roast into small cubes, about ¾”-1″; if you buy “stew beef” from the market (shown above, left), the cubes are usually cut into much larger chunks, which will need to be cut smaller (shown above, right). Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper.

3. Add olive oil to the pot and sear the beef over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. The meat doesn’t need to be completely cooked, just browned. Transfer the beef, liquids and any browned bits to another dish.

4. Add the remainder of the olive oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrots, onions, celery, and parsnips. Sauté until the veggies are crisp-tender, for about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, and bay leaves. Cook for one minute more until the mixture is fragrant.

Add the mushrooms and beef back to the pot.

5. Once the vegetables are tender, add the browned beef and mushrooms (and any accumulated liquid) back to the pot.

6. Stir in the beef broth and canned tomatoes and bring to a boil.

7. Once the liquid is boiling, stir in the pearl barley, cover the Dutch oven with the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. If you’re using the browning sauce, add it now.

8. Remove the tough stems from the kale and chop the leaves finely into ribbons. Add the kale to the simmering soup and cook for 10-15 minutes longer.

9. Taste the beef and barley soup for seasonings and adjust as necessary, with additional salt and/or pepper and serve.

Pro-Tips:

If you’re using pre-cubed meat meant for beef stew, cut them down to a smaller size otherwise they’ll be too big for a soup spoon.
Generously season the beef with salt and pepper before browning to help build layers of flavor.
Cut onions and celery into smaller pieces (about ½”) than the carrots and parsnips. I recommend larger more identifiable 1″ chunks.
Avoid “baby carrots.” This isn’t a hard and fast rule but more of a personal preference/pet peeve. They don’t have the same look, feel or flavor as a freshly chopped carrot because of moisture loss and surface damage (from being peeled and stored). Plus, something irks me about those small, artificially rounded nubs–they’re fine for snacking with hummus (or if you have a toddler) in the house, but I don’t use them for cooking.
If you only have regular salted beef broth, use 4-6 cups and augment with 2-4 cups of water to reduce the overall sodium.

Beef Barley Soup with a wooden spoon in the pot.

Swaps and Variations:

Swap parsnips for turnips. Turnips are slightly spicy rather than sweet, low-carb and packed with fiber and vitamins.
For gluten-free soup–swap barley with quinoa, rice or diced potatoes. Note: if using brown or wild rice, cook them separately as they take much longer to cook and will soak up all of your broth.
Substitute Farro for barley–it has an equivalent size and mouth feel to barley. Not gluten-free.
Swap pasta for barley–try Orzo, Ditalini, Elbow Macaroni or other small pasta. Cook pasta separately and add it to each serving because it absorbs the hot beef broth like a chamois, even after coming off the stove. Any soup with pasta tends to soak up the broth in the fridge overnight, leaving very little liquid. If this happens, add more broth when you reheat it.
Swap thyme for the basil. You can use a teaspoon of dried thyme or tie several sprigs of fresh thyme with a kitchen string and toss it into the pot. Remove the bundle before serving.
Add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the vegetables as you sauté them. This will give the broth a deeper umami flavor.
Swap kale for cut green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces or frozen peas. Add peas at the last minute so they don’t get mushy.

Overhead shot of the beef barley mushroom soup.

FAQs

What’s the difference between pearl barley and quick cook barley?

Pearl barley has had the outer bran layering and the hull removed, thus polished or pearled… Although technically refined, pearl barley is still more nutritious than other refined grains because some bran is still present, and the fiber is distributed throughout the kernel.

Quick-cooking barley is cooked and dried pearl barley rolled into a barley flake. The quick-cook variety is ready to eat in 10-15 minutes, whereas pearl barley takes longer, about 30 minutes or so.

Both pearl barley and quick-cooking barley are considered processed and have about the same nutritional value.

Which barley is best for soup?

You can use either one for beef and barley soup.

If you like a thicker soup, pearl barley needs a longer simmer and will naturally absorb some of the broth and thicken the soup.

If you prefer a lighter, more brothy soup, you can use quick-cooking barley, usually ready in about 10-15 minutes.

What is the best cut of beef for beef and barley soup?

Any traditionally tough cut with connective tissue and collagen breaks down during simmering, giving the broth a velvety mouthfeel. You can use chuck roast, beef stew meat, beef shoulder, eye of round roast, bottom round, or cuts from the shank, oxtail or brisket. Beef short ribs are another good option.

Storage:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheating:

Reheat in the microwave in 30-45 second bursts; stirring after each until the soup is hot.
To rewarm in a saucepan, heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it’s warmed through.

Freezing:

Beef and barley soup freezes well in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Defrost before reheating.
Note: if you’ve made any substitutions i.e. pasta or rice in place of the pearl barley, they may have a softer texture after freezing.

A big bowl of the beef barley soup recipe.

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