Beef Barley Soup Recipe (With Video and Step-by-Step)

Beef Barley Soup Video

1:40

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Servings:

Our beef barley soup recipe is just right for cozy fall and winter nights. Hearty chunks of beef and nutty, chewy bits of barley dot the deeply flavored broth. Though this dish might look like it simmered all day, the recipe only requires about an hour on the stovetop. It's a simple meal made with just a few ingredients—most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

The soup starts with searing the beef in a hot pan, then sautéing onions, carrots, and garlic. Scraping any stuck-on bits from the pan is an important part of building flavor. Then the beef is returned to the pot and simmers with beef stock, barley, and herbs until both the meat and the grains are tender. Serve the soup topped with fresh parsley and plenty of crusty bread for a filling and flavorful meal.

The Best Beef Stew Meat to Use

For this recipe, it's best to use boneless stew meat. We recommend using beef chuck or boneless short ribs—both of which are hearty cuts that will soften while cooking without getting mushy, so they still retain their shape. Look for a cut of meat that has some marbling to it, which means there is a good amount of thin fat lines running through it.

When preparing your meat for stew, be sure to cut each piece into a similar shape and size. That way you can ensure that all pieces of meat will cook at a similar rate, and you won't have one piece that's overcooked with another piece that's underdone.

What Is Barley?

Barley is essential to this recipe, but what is it? A whole grain that’s technically part of the grass family, there are many varieties of barley available and it has been a major food source throughout the world for centuries. In fact, along with wheat, it’s one of the earliest cultivated crops.

Barley has a chewy, toothsome texture and mild nutty flavor. It is available in several forms, the most common are:

Hulled barley: A minimally processed whole grain, hulled barley has just its outer husk removed. It is also known as barley groats and is high in fiber. It takes about 50 minutes to cook and is our pick for this recipe.

Pearled barley: Hulled barley with the hull and bran removed is called pearled barley. Because the hull and bran are removed, it cooks quicker than hulled barley, in about 25 minutes.

Both hulled and pearled barley can be cooked in a similar style to rice and served in breakfast cereals, soups, stews, baby food, or porridge. In addition to being used whole, barley is also milled into flour and used in baked goods. Barley does a great job soaking up the flavors of whatever it’s cooked with, which makes it a perfect addition to soups.

For best results, use homemade stock rather than store-bought for this recipe. Using homemade stock lets you stay completely in control of the ingredients. Some store-bought stock is saltier than others and some blander than others.

Directions

Heat oil in soup pot and brown meat:

In a 6-quart soup pot, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown evenly, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate.

Jake Sternquist
Cook onion:

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, scraping the pot to loosen any brown bits.

Jake Sternquist
Add carrots and garlic:

Add the carrots and garlic and sweat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of stock and scrape the bottom of the pot.

Jake Sternquist
Add remaining stock, meat, and barley:

Add the remaining stock, the meat, barley, and thyme and bring to a boil.

Jake Sternquist
Simmer:

Reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the pot occasionally, until the barley is cooked and the meat is tender, about 50 minutes.

Jake Sternquist
Serve:

Ladle into deep bowls and serve, garnished with parsley.

Storing Beef Barley Soup

The key to storing any soup safely is to make sure the soup has cooled to room temperature first. The best way to do this quickly is to portion it into smaller batches—a large vat of soup will take longer to cool down than multiple smaller containers will. Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to refrigerator-safe containers with tight-fitting lids.

Not all soups can stay in the refrigerator for the same amount of time, and the length of time a soup can be stored for safely will depend on what type of soup it is. For example, clear chicken soup can stay in the refrigerator for longer than a batch of seafood stew. This beef barley soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Freezing

Before freezing any type of soup or other hot liquid, let it cool to room temperature. Then transfer it to a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Label it with the date, then place it on a flat surface in the freezer.

According to the USDA, as long as your freezer is at the correct temperature, soup can stay in the freezer for months. If frozen properly, soup can stay safely in the freezer almost indefinitely, but the freshness and flavor will suffer after more than a few months. For best results, keep this beef barley soup in your freezer for up to 6 months.

What to Serve With Beef Barley Soup

This soup makes a warming, satisfying meal on its own, especially when accompanied by crusty bread and good butter, but you can certainly add a simple side to bulk it up further. Consider a kale salad—the hearty greens are at their peak in fall and winter, after all—such as this kale-and-apple recipe or this lacinato salad with roasted squash. For something more substantial, pair it with a grown-up grilled cheese sandwich, like this one with Gruyère and onion jam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does beef and barley soup come from?

Beef and barley soup is thought to come from Scotland. In fact, it’s often referred to as "Scotch Broth," a soup which usually contains barley, stewed beef or mutton, and root vegetables. Barley is one of the earliest cultivated crops, and is used in many cuisines. Similar soups are also found in countries like Ireland and England.
Does barley thicken stew?

Yes, barley does thicken stew—or soup. Barley contains a good amount of starch, which will release into the soup when it’s cooked. That starch will help thicken the broth to leave you with a deliciously thick, creamy stew.
Should I cook barley before adding it to soup?

Whether you need to cook barley before adding it to soup depends on the recipe. For our beef barley soup, the soup cooks long enough that there is time for the barley to become tender as the soup simmers. In a recipe with a shorter cooking time, the barley may need to be cooked prior to be added to the soup.
Can pre-packaged stew meat be used for this recipe?

While you can technically use pre-packaged stew meat for this recipe, we strongly recommend buying a whole cut to prepare yourself at home. Products labeled "stew meat" are often made up of various trimmings that may not yield the best finished flavor or texture. Our favorite options for soups and stews are chuck, boneless short rib, cross cut shanks, and brisket.

5 More Beef Soup and Stew Recipes to Try

Updated by

Esther Reynolds

Beef Barley Soup

The Best Beef Stew Meat to Use

What Is Barley?

Directions

Heat oil in soup pot and brown meat:

Cook onion:

Add carrots and garlic:

Add remaining stock, meat, and barley:

Simmer:

Serve: