Vegetable Beef Barley Soup Recipe

This beef barley soup is a simple, hearty recipe made with tender beef, vegetables, and just the right amount of barley. It’s the kind of soup that simmers quietly on the stove and fills the house with the best smells, perfect for cold days, busy weeks, or anytime you want a dependable homemade meal.

Why This Recipe Works

This beef barley soup is something you can make in hardly any time at all, and it tastes like you’ve been cooking all day. It’s easy to put together with simple ingredients, but the slow simmer brings everything together so it tastes rich and homemade.

Ingredient Notes + Variations

• Broth options: you can substitute tomato juice for one carton of the beef broth for a slightly richer flavor. This is how I make my vegetable beef soup, and it works beautifully here too.
• Carrots: I’ve used both chopped carrots and bagged shredded carrots. The shredded carrots save time since there’s no chopping, and both options taste just as good.
• Beef selection: when choosing chuck roast or stew meat, look for good marbling. This adds flavor and helps keep the meat tender as it simmers.
• Broth vs. stock: beef stock can be used in place of beef broth with no other changes to the recipe.

How To Make

• In the bottom of a soup pot or dutch oven, swirl olive oil to almost cover the bottom.
• Add stew meat, carrots, celery and onion.
• Cook and stir until beef is well browned.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add consomme and one carton of beef broth.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add barley.
• Add enough of the second carton of beef broth to get your desired thickness.
• Bring to a second boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cover and turn off heat.
• Let sit on the stove top for 1 hour. Stir well and serve.

Beef Barley Soup Prep Variation

• If you have extra time, preparing the meat a day ahead is a great option. I do this when I want deeper flavor or when I’m planning ahead.
• Use a 2 to 3 pound chuck roast instead of stew meat. Brown the roast well on both sides in a Dutch oven, season generously with salt and pepper, then add enough water to come just to the top of the meat.
• Cover and cook in a 300 degree F oven for about 3 hours, until the meat is very tender.
• Let the pot cool, then refrigerate it overnight.
• The next day, remove the meat, skim off the fat, and cut the beef into pieces for the soup. The cooking liquid makes an excellent base and can be used in place of some or all of the broth.

Beef Barley Soup

By: Ann Drake

Hearty and super simple, this vegetable beef barley soup recipe goes from stovetop to table in about an hour! Perfect for busy weeknight dinners, it's semi-homemade and delicious!

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

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Ingredients

 

½ x1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3 lbs. beef stew meat
• ▢ 1 cup carrots (shredded or chopped)
• ▢ 1 cup celery (chopped)
• ▢ 1 small onion (chopped)
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ 10 oz. Beef Consomme (I use Campbell's)
• ▢ 64 oz. beef broth
• ▢ 1 cup quick cooking barley

Instructions

• In the bottom of a soup pot or dutch oven, swirl olive oil to almost cover the bottom.
• Add stew meat, carrots, celery and onion.
• Cook and stir until beef is well browned.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add consomme and one carton of beef broth.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add barley.
• Add enough of the second carton of beef broth to get your desired thickness.
• Bring to a second boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cover and turn off heat.
• Let sit on the stove top for 1 hour. Stir well and serve.

Notes

I find barley in the rice section of my grocery store.

Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts

Beef Barley Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

387

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Cholesterol

 

105

mg

35

%

Sodium

 

1095

mg

48

%

Potassium

 

888

mg

25

%

Carbohydrates

 

22

g

7

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

1

g

1

%

Protein

 

44

g

88

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Years ago, my husband came home talking about a beef barley soup he had at our local Elks. This is a man who rarely gets excited about food, so I paid attention. I didn’t have many details to go on, so I made my own version. When he said, “That was pretty good,” I knew it was a keeper…and I’ve been making this soup ever since.

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