Oh, when the air gets just a tiny bit chilly, my heart immediately craves something that hugs you from the inside out, right? That’s where comfort food earns its name! For me, this Hearty Beef and Barley Soup isn’t just another recipe; it’s the perfect embodiment of my healthy living philosophy. It’s a complete, balanced meal in one warm bowl, chock-full of tender beef and soft barley that just melts in your mouth. As someone who focuses on creating nourishing meals, I can tell you that this soup truly nourishes deeply without ever feeling heavy. I love that I can share this recipe with you today knowing it delivers pure satisfaction!
If you’re looking for the ultimate cozy dinner, you absolutely must check out my longer piece on how I developed this recipe right here. It’s got all the little secrets.
Why This Beef & Barley Soup is Your New Comfort Staple
Honestly, this isn’t just a broth you sip between meals; this is dinner sorted! When I designed this recipe, I wanted something that checked all the boxes for a truly satisfying meal. It’s packed with things that make you feel good, yet it still tastes like your favorite cozy memory.
Here is why I think you’ll be making this Beef & Barley Soup all season long:
- It’s amazingly filling! The combination of protein and fiber keeps you satisfied for hours.
- It’s a total powerhouse of nutrition, bringing together vegetables, quality protein, and whole grains.
- It’s even better the next day! Seriously, make a double batch because leftovers are your friend.
For more ideas on warming dishes perfect for any season, pop over and see my favorite comforting soup recipes!
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Beef & Barley Soup
The secret to turning this into a truly nourishing meal, rather than just thinner soup, comes down to using robust ingredients that hold up during that long simmer. Trust me, every item listed here plays a vital part in building that gorgeous, deep flavor profile we are aiming for!
When you’re shopping, make sure you read the notes on preparation—it makes a huge difference later on. For instance, we need the beef cut into decent pieces so they don’t totally dissolve!
- 2 pounds stewing beef, or chuck roast, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided between steps
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (this helps thicken things up!)
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, or beef stock
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup hulled barley
If you want a few more ideas for fantastic, cozy dishes that warm you up, check out my collection of cozy healthy soup recipes!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Hearty Beef & Barley Soup
I know it seems like a lot of steps, but trust me, the payoff for this Beef & Barley Soup is huge! We are building layers of flavor here, and the key is actually patience—especially when we sear that beef. Don’t rush the browning part; that’s what stops this from tasting watered down. We’ll work in stages to make sure everything gets cooked exactly right before we let it all simmer happily together for an hour.
Once we’re done, you only need to give it an occasional stir until that barley is perfectly tender. When you’re ready to see the full process mapped out with timings, I broke down one of my favorite weeknight dinners, Beef Lo Mein, which uses similar searing techniques!
Searing the Beef for Deep Flavor in Your Beef & Barley Soup
First things first: dry your beef cubes really well and season them up! Heat that first tablespoon of oil until it’s shimmering—you want it hot! Brown the beef in small batches; don’t crowd the pot! We aren’t cooking it through, just creating a fantastic brown crust on those outside edges. That crust is pure flavor gold that becomes the base of our whole soup.
Building the Flavor Base for the Beef & Barley Soup
Once the beef is set aside, we’re going straight into those colorful veggies: onions, carrots, and celery. Let them soften up nicely, scraping up all those yummy brown bits (that’s called fond, by the way!) left from the beef. Then, toss in the potatoes, garlic, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Don’t skip scraping! Those bits are everything!
Simmering Your Beef & Barley Soup to Perfection
Now we welcome back the beef, add your broth, water, and that wonderful barley. Bring the whole thing up to a boil on high heat first—this sets things moving! After that boil, drop the heat way down to maintain a gentle simmer—think just a few lazy bubbles every few seconds. Tuck those bay leaves in and let it go for at least one full hour. Stir it every now and then so nothing settles or sticks.
Expert Tips for the Best Beef & Barley Soup Results
You know, soups like this benefit so much from little tricks gathered over time. My personal favorite tip, honed from making way too much chili in my early days, is about the beef cut. If you can find it, buy a piece of chuck roast and cube it yourself! Cut it slightly on the larger side because it shrinks during that long simmer, and you want those satisfying chunks of beef.
Also, please, please use good quality beef broth! If your broth is bland, your soup will be bland, guaranteed. I always keep a few cartons of low-sodium stock on hand. Better broth means less salt needed later, and it really elevates the whole experience. For more ways to build deep flavor in hearty dishes, check out my recipe for the best chili recipe—it uses a similar layering technique!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Beef & Barley Soup
I get asked all the time if you absolutely *must* use hulled barley. While I really encourage it—the texture is just spot-on for this hearty Beef & Barley Soup—you can certainly swap it out in a pinch! Farro is a wonderful alternative if you happen to have that on hand, though you might need to add it closer to the end of the cooking time since it can cook faster sometimes.
When it comes to the beef, stewing meat or chuck roast works best because they break down beautifully into tender pieces during the long simmer. If you only have sirloin, just make sure you toss it in right at the very end so it doesn’t dry out! For those who enjoy really rich, slow-cooked meats, you might also love my recipe for oxtail soup, which teaches you so much about meltingly tender meat!
Storage and Reheating Your Homemade Beef & Barley Soup
Part of what makes this recipe so fantastic is that it truly gets better—and thicker!—the longer it sits. When you’re ready to store it, just let the pot cool down completely on the counter first. Then, tuck it into airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days. I often use containers specifically for my make-ahead meals!
When you reheat it on the stovetop, you’ll probably notice it’s very thick since the barley soaks up liquid overnight. Don’t panic! Just add a splash or two of water or extra broth while gently simmering until it reaches your favorite soup consistency again. It freezes beautifully too!
Health Benefits of This Nourishing Beef & Barley Soup
When I talk about healthy eating, I don’t mean deprivation; I mean fueling your body with goodness! This Beef & Barley Soup is such a winner because it naturally brings together major nutritional powerhouses. The hulled barley is phenomenal because it’s loaded with soluble fiber, which is just wonderful for keeping your digestive system happy and feeling full.
Plus, we’re getting high-quality protein from the tender beef. It supports everything from muscle maintenance to steady energy levels throughout the afternoon, which is exactly what I want from a lunchtime meal. It’s just real, honest food that supports you!
To see more dishes designed specifically with high protein and great nutrition in mind, take a peek at my high-protein recipe collection!
Frequently Asked Questions About Beef & Barley Soup
I know when you try a new recipe, you always have a few little things pop into your head that aren’t quite covered in the steps. That is totally normal! I’ve gathered the questions I get asked most often about making the perfect Beef & Barley Soup at home.
Can I make this a vegetarian or vegan-friendly soup?
That’s a great question, especially since everyone needs hearty meal ideas! You absolutely can adapt this! You’ll need to swap out the beef and beef broth entirely. I recommend using a really rich mushroom or vegetable broth for flavor depth. For that satisfying density the beef brings, try adding extra root vegetables or maybe some browned textured vegetable protein (TVP) or firm mushrooms. It won’t be the same as the classic, I won’t lie, but it keeps that warm, filling structure!
How much time do I need, really? Is this an easy recipe for a weeknight?
Okay, so the total cook time is about 95 minutes, which is pushing it for a super quick weeknight meal, but hear me out! The prep time is only about 20 minutes. You can do all the chopping and searing in that first half-hour. Then, once it’s simmering, it’s mostly hands-off time—perfect for cleaning up or maybe even tasting some other easy baking recipes while you wait! If you want something quicker, maybe try a simple savory pastry one night!
Does this Beef & Barley Soup freeze well for later meal prep?
Yes, it freezes incredibly well! This is one of my favorite meal prep ideas. The barley holds up better than most pasta or rice would in the freezer. I package mine in individual containers. When you reheat it, just know it will be thicker than when you first made it—the barley keeps absorbing liquid. Always plan to add an extra splash of water or broth when reheating on the stovetop to bring it back to that perfect consistency.
What if I don’t have hulled barley—can I use pearled barley instead?
You certainly can! Pearled barley has the outer hull removed, which means it cooks faster than hulled barley. If you use pearled, start checking for tenderness after about 40 minutes of simmering instead of waiting the full hour. If you’re skipping the beef, maybe try balancing the flavor with some tangy homemade stock, similar to how I build flavor in my Philly Cheesesteak Pasta!
Estimated Nutritional Information for Beef & Barley Soup
When we talk about nourishing meals, knowing what’s in our food is so important! Based on my calculations for six hearty servings of this Beef & Barley Soup, here’s what you can generally expect per serving:
- Calories: 450
- Protein: 30g
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 8g
Now, please remember, this is just my best estimate! Since we’re using fresh ingredients and perhaps different cuts of beef, your exact numbers might swing a little. That’s just the reality of cooking amazing food at home from scratch! If you want to see other great dishes that fit into balanced eating plans, check out my diet recipes page!
Print
Hearty Beef and Barley Soup
- Total Time: 95 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
A complete, nourishing, and balanced soup featuring tender beef and soft barley, perfect for cool days.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stewing beef, or chuck roast, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, or beef stock
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup hulled barley
Instructions
- Pat the stewing beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over high heat. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer (you may need to cook your beef in two batches) and cook just until the beef starts to brown on the outside, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once all the beef has browned, return all the beef to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and sprinkle with two tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Cook for about a minute, continuously mixing the beef to evenly distribute the flour. Remove the beef to a clean plate and set aside.
- Heat an additional tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- After the vegetables start to soften, add the cubed potatoes, minced garlic, minced fresh oregano, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently mix to combine.
- Return the seared beef back to the pot and add the beef broth, water, and barley. Mix well to combine and increase to high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add bay leaves. Simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Once the vegetables are soft, the barley is tender, and the beef is tender, remove from heat and season with additional salt, pepper, and fresh oregano, to taste.
Notes
- This soup is excellent for meal preparation and tastes even better the next day.
- Scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot adds deep flavor to the soup base.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 75 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 85
Keywords: beef and barley soup, hearty soup, comfort food, nourishing meal, easy beef soup, homemade soup, fiber rich soup