Delicious Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
Paring Knife 4.5" | Crusader Series
Delicious Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
Quick Steps Overview: Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
- Gather all the tools and ingredients
- Heat a large pot
- Sear the beef
- Transfer the tender beef to a plate
- Add oil, carrots, celery, and onions
- Add tomato paste and garlic
- Add beef stock or 3 beef cubes
- Stir and bring mixture to simmer
- Add hulled barley
- Garnish with parsley and serve
Want to give your daily soup a hearty twist? Then this nutritious veggie, beef, and barley soup is exactly what you need! This complete meal in a bowl should leave you satisfied and is bound to warm you up inside, out. A classic beef-barley soup should taste deeply beefy and should be loaded with chunks of tender, flavorful meat, plump grains of barley, and fresh, aromatic veggies.
For those new to cooking, let me give you a brief introduction to this delicious soup. Beef and Barley soup is a rustic dish that includes affordable cuts of beef that are simmered with vegetables in beef broth until tender. Barley is added to provide the soup with a slightly chewy texture and nutty taste.
If you are a big-time soup lover like me, continue reading to know how you can stir up this beauty at home with great ease.
1. Best Beef to Use for Beef and Barley Soup
I’m going to let you in on one of my cooking secrets that guarantee the most wholesome soups... The importance of the choice of beef. Choosing the right cut, handling it the right way, and adding more complex layers of flavor is what builds up the taste of this soup.
For this soup, beef stew meat (also known as stewing beef), is an affordable cut found in about every grocery store. The long and slow cooking time of this soup helps the beef become incredibly tender and the pre-cut, bite-sized pieces of the meat are very simple to prep and use. However, if you can't get a hold of beef stew meat, you can also go for diced chuck roast or short rib.
2. Tools You Will Need
Stock Pot
A larger, stainless steel stock pot is required for this as the soup will increase in quantity as more ingredients are added to it.
Cutting Board
A well-sized cutting board is suggested to ensure ease of prepping them for the soup.
Apron
Shield yourself and your outfit from kitchen splatters with a functional apron.
Chef’s Knife
A razor-sharp chef’s knife is great too to help you breeze through chopping tasks that accompany this recipe.
3. Best Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
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Beef and Barley Soup |
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Prep Time 30 mins |
Cook Time 2 hours |
Total Time 2 hours 30 mins |
Servings 7 |
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Ingredients |
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Beef |
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Ingredients |
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Cooking Instructions |
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Step 1: Gather all the tools and ingredients |
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Step 2: Heat a large pot |
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Step 3: Sear the beef |
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Step 4: Transfer beef to a plate |
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Step 5: Add oil, carrots, celery, and onions |
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Step 6: Add tomato paste and garlic |
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Step 7: Add broth and throw in flavor |
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Step 8: Bring mixture to simmer |
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Step 9: Add barley |
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Step 10: Garnish with parsley and serve |
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4. Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
Another way to cook up this soup is in an instant pot. Not only is this method hassle-free but will also save you some time as compared to slow-cooking the soup. The beauty of using an instant pot for this recipe is that it cooks the meat and grains beautifully to tender perfection.
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Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup |
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Prep Time 10 mins |
Cook Time 35 mins |
Additional Time 6 minutes |
Total Time 51 mins |
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Beef |
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Cooking Instructions |
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5. Nutritional Value
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Beef And Barley Soup |
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Calories |
455kcal |
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Total Fat |
21g |
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Saturated Fat |
7g |
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Carbohydrates |
40g |
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Protein |
31g |
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Cholesterol |
74mg |
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Sodium |
366mg |
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Potassium |
1076mg |
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Vitamin A |
8836IU* |
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Vitamin C |
15mg |
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Calcium |
95mg |
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Iron |
5mg |
*IU stands for International Unit and is a measure that is used in pharmacy and for the use of measurement of vitamins.
6. Tips For Making the Best Beef and Barley Soup
- Cut up the veggies into thick chunks. This is because this soup needs to simmer for a long time. If you chop veggies like carrots into small pieces, they might get too soft.
- I highly recommend you brown the beef first. This will add a rich layer of flavor to the soup.
- You must let the soup simmer low and slow for a good amount of time to ensure that the beef comes out tender, soaked up in the flavors of the soup.
- Sauté the tomato paste to help boost flavor and lightly caramelize it.
- Remember to add barley halfway through simmering for a lightly chewy texture.
7. Possible Variations of the Soup
- You can replace ½ cup of the broth with ½ cup of dry red wine. This will add a nice boost of acidity and flavor to the soup.
- You can get creative with the vegetables you choose to add. Throw in some mushrooms, green beans, canned tomatoes, potatoes, or peas to make this soup richer.
- Remember, if you are adding more veggies to the soup, you will also have to add more broth to balance out the thickness of the soup.
- Toss in a few herbs of your choice to enhance the flavor palette. Bay leaves, marjoram, and Italian seasoning pair well with this.
- If you don't have barley or what to give the soup a new twist, you can also try other grains like brown rice or farro rice instead.
8. Preparing the Soup Ahead of Time
While this soup is fairly simple to make, it can be a time-consuming process, requiring a good amount of prep work. However, you can always do all that beforehand and save time when you have to actually cook the soup.
Beef: You can trim and chop the beef pieces the night before. You can even sear the beef and let it be the night before. However, you must let the beef cool down completely and get to room temperature before sealing it in an air-tight container and refrigerating it.
Vegetables: Chopping all the veggies the night before and playing them in an airtight container is a major time-saver. The only vegetable you will have to keep separate is potatoes. You must submerge potatoes in water, cover them with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator.
Do it all: If you are crunched on time, you can also completely assemble the beef and barley soup in the crockpot and refrigerate the ceramic insert. This will make for a hassle-free, no-fuss morning. But you must remember that going for this would require you to add extra broth at the end of cooking.
9. Reheating and Storing Beef and Barley Soup
There are a bunch of ways to reheat beef and barley soup:
In the Crockpot
Place the ceramic crockpot insert back into the crockpot and heat on low for 1-3 hours. Do note that this time depends on how much soup you have left.
On the Stove
You can also use the stove for this purpose. Reheat large batches of soup on the stove over medium-low heat, remembering to stir occasionally, until the beef is beaten to 165 degrees F. This should take about 20 minutes.
In the Microwave
In case you need to heat smaller batches or individual servings, a microwave should do the job. Transfer the soup to a microwave-safe dish and cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave at 30-second intervals if needed.
Did you know that you can also prepare batches of this soup and freeze it? However, if that is the plan then you would want to avoid adding potatoes to the soup. They will not freeze or reheat well and might turn into some bizarre, mushy texture that could ruin the soup.
But that does not mean you can’t enjoy potatoes in the frozen soup. Cook the potatoes separately and simply add them to the leftover soup. To steam potatoes, place them in a microwave-safe bowl with about ¼” of water up the sides. Cover and microwave until tender, for about 8 minutes. Add potatoes to the portion of the soup you are not freezing.
To freeze Beef and Barley Soup:
- Cool It: Let the Beef and Barley Soup cool down completely before freezing to preserve the integrity of the ingredients.
- Pack It: Transfer the soup to an airtight, freezer-safe container or freezer bag. You can also use a sandwich-size plastic bag and save individual stew portions. Make sure to squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn.
- Freeze It: Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost/Reheat It: When it is time for you to enjoy the soup, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave, crockpot, or stove.
10. Serving Suggestions
This soup is pretty wholesome by itself, so the side dishes can be minimal such as:
Salad
Fresh salad pairs the best with this soup. You can go for a classic Caesar's salad, wedge salad, or get experimental with apple salad, pear salad, or oven-roasted butternut squash salad.
Fruits
Thai sweet contract goes very well with the rich flavors of the soup. You can serve this with whatever fruit is in during the season.
Bread
Warm, soft bread is a must with soup. Serve this delicious dish with a big loaf of crusty bread, soft and fluffy dinner rolls, parmesan breadsticks, or garlic bread.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to cook barley before putting it in soup?
If you don’t want super thick soup but want to add pearl barley to it, cook it separately first. Boil in water for 20-30 minutes and rinse before using.
Is beef barley soup fattening?
Using barley as a soup base makes for a low-fat, fiber-rich source of protein. Whether you add in beef or veggies, barley soup is an excellent addition to your diet thanks to its nutrient content.
What is the best cut of meat for beef barley soup?
Chuck roast is the perfect cut for soups and stews.
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Written by Himani Vaid
Toronto-based food nerd turned food storyteller, Himani is a connoisseur of all things delish. Currently, busy thinking about what to eat next.
