Savory Beef Barley Soup (Printable)

Tender beef and nutty barley simmered with veggies in a rich broth for a flavorful and hearty dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

→ Grains

02 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
09 - 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
10 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

→ Liquids

11 - 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
12 - 2 cups water

→ Herbs & Spices

13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 1 tsp dried thyme
15 - 1 tsp dried parsley
16 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
17 - 1 tsp salt, or to taste

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown evenly on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Return beef to the pot. Add diced tomatoes with their juice, beef broth, water, pearl barley, diced potato, bay leaves, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stir to incorporate.
05 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
06 - Uncover and continue simmering for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until beef and barley are tender and the liquid has thickened slightly. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Serve hot with optional fresh parsley garnish.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that fills you completely, with tender beef and chewy barley that make it feel more like a meal than a side dish
  • Once it's simmering, you barely need to think about it, giving you time to do other things while dinner practically cooks itself
  • It tastes even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully, so you're always just a reheat away from comfort
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef. It feels like an extra step when you're hungry, but those browned bits transform the entire flavor profile from okay to unforgettable.
  • If your barley is floating on top halfway through cooking instead of sinking, your broth temperature is probably too high. Lower the heat a bit. Gentle simmering is the goal, not a rolling boil.
  • Taste the soup near the end of cooking, not at the beginning. The flavors develop as things cook down, and salt added too early becomes too strong.
03 -
  • If the soup is too thin at the end, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in during the last few minutes of cooking. It thickens beautifully without making things cloudy.
  • Save the broth from canned tomatoes in a container for the next time you make this—it's liquid gold for soups and braises.

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