Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Beef Barley Vegetable Soup is a hearty, comforting dish made with tender chunks of beef, wholesome barley, and a medley of vegetables like carrots, celery, and mushrooms, all simmered together in a flavorful broth. The soup has a satisfying, rich texture and is perfect for warming up on chilly days.
Best Beef Barley Soup
I’m definitely not a chicken and fish ONLY kind of girl. I try to keep red meat to a minimum, but sometimes I just crave a big ole hamburger or some roast beef. We grew up eating a lot of roast beef, and that was one of the meals Mom cooked most before she began to forget. Using it in beef soup is most definitely my favorite way to eat it.
Soup is my cool weather love language. I love making huge pots of soup with loads of veggies and flavor. Here are some of my favorites by type. SO MANY to choose from:
- Chicken – Chicken Tortilla Soup (with homemade enchilada sauce)
- Beef – Shredded Beef Cabbage Soup and Italian Wedding Soup
- Meatless – Coconut Curry Vegetable Soup and Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Extra Healthy – Detox Lentil Soup and Split Pea Vegetable Soup
Why This Recipe Works:
- COMFORT FOOD – This beef soup is comfort food at its best. Perfect for cold winter days and nights when we don’t want to go outside!
- NUTRIENT DENSE – This soup is loaded with veggies, high-protein beef, and fiber-packed barley, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- MAKES GREAT LEFTOVERS – We enjoy leftover soup for lunches all week long. Pack whatever you don’t gobble up for dinner in meal prep containers for an easy grab-and-go.
Ingredients needed for Beef Vegetable Barley Soup:
- Chuck Roast – I used a two pound chuck roast for this soup. See below for options for cooking the roast.
- Olive Oil – Used to sauté the veggies below.
- Veggies – Onion, carrots, celery, cabbage slaw, mushrooms, and garlic. So many veggies!
- Broth – I used a lower-sodium beef broth.
- Worcestershire – You’ll need two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce for additional flavor.
- Tomato Paste – Tomato Paste is a great add-in for some depth of flavor.
- Bay Leaves – I tend to add bay leaves in most of my beef soups – but this is optional.
- Pearl Barley – You’ll need just 2/3 cup of this grain. It tends to puff up quite a bit after cooking.
How to cook a beef roast:
For all of these options, be sure to brown the roast first. Slice the roast in chunks and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a skillet (or you can do this in the instant pot if using that method) to medium heat and add olive oil. Then add roast (in batches if necessary) and brown pieces on all sides. Remove the roast from heat, and use one of the methods below to continue cooking.
- Instant Pot – After browning, add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth to cover the roast. Pressure cook on high for 55 minutes, and do a natural release for 15 minutes. Remove roast, cool slightly, and shred.
- Slow Cooker – Once browned, add the roast to a slow cooker. Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth to cover the roast. Cook on high for about 5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.. When it falls apart easily, it’s done.
- Stove Top – After browning the roast, use the same stock pot to make soup. Deglaze the pan as you add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth to cover then roast. Cook, with lid on, at medium-high heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef falls apart easily.
- Oven – Once browned, add the roast to a roaster or dutch oven. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth to cover. Cook, with lid on, on 350 degrees for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender.
How to make Beef Barley Vegetable Soup:
Step 1
Cook beef roast. Cook the beef roast according to the method you choose. See above.
Step 2
Sauté the veggies. In a medium to large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the veggies – onion, carrots, celery, cabbage slaw, mushrooms, and garlic – and cook, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until veggies are starting to soften and become fragrant.
Step 3
Add liquids. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, and additional salt and pepper (if desired). Bring to a boil.
Step 4
Add cooked roast and barley. Turn down heat to a slow bubbling simmer, and add cooked roast (see below for how to cook the roast) and rinsed pearl barley. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until barley is cooked. Check seasonings.
NOTE: You may need to add additional beef broth to leftover beef soup. As the soup sits, it tends to thicken.
Step 5
Serve. Remove bay leaves and ladle soup into individual bowls. We like to enjoy this with some salty crackers or crusty bread.
Storing and Freezing:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The soup may thicken over time, so add a splash of broth when reheating.
- This beef barley soup freezes well. Just cool it completely, portion it into containers, and freeze. Reheat on the stove for best results.
Recipe FAQs:
Red meat is a great source of iron. Whenever I donate blood, I make a conscious choice to eat a few servings of red meat the week prior to giving. That and a few big spinach salads, and I’m usually good to give. This Beef Soup recipe is a good one to keep on hand for this purpose, and it gets even better tasting after a day or so in the refrigerator.
Barley is a cereal grain that cooks use in a variety of dishes, including breads and stews. This whole grain is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and offers a variety of healthy benefits. There are two types – hulled and pearled. Hulled barley has the bran and germ intact because of minimal processing, while pearled barley has neither one. Barley will expand to three and a half times its volume when cooked.
Stew beef, chuck roast, or short ribs work well because they become tender when simmered, adding great flavor to the broth.
Yes, it’s best to rinse pearl barley before cooking. Rinsing helps remove any dust or debris from processing and can reduce some of the starch, preventing the soup from becoming overly thick or cloudy. Just place the barley in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
Yes, try adding potatoes, green beans, or zucchini.
Yes, after browning the beef and sautéing the veggies, add everything to a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until tender.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast – cooked and shredded
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion – chopped
- 4 large carrots – chopped
- 3 stalks celery – chopped
- 3 cups cabbage slaw – shredded
- 8 oz. Bella mushrooms – sliced
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 8-10 cups lower sodium beef broth
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 bay leaves
- 2/3 cup pearl barley (rinsed) – or more for a thicker soup
Instructions
- Cook beef roast. Cook the beef roast according to the method you choose. (See below for different methods.)
- Sauté the veggies. In a medium to large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the veggies – onion, carrots, celery, cabbage slaw, mushrooms, and garlic – and cook, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until veggies are starting to soften and become fragrant.
- Add liquids. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, and additional salt and pepper (if desired). Bring to a boil.
- Add cooked roast and barley. Turn down heat to a slow bubbling simmer, and add cooked roast (see below for how to cook the roast) and rinsed pearl barley. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until barley is cooked. Check seasonings.NOTE: You may need to add additional beef broth to leftover beef soup. As the soup sits, it tends to thicken.
- Serve. Remove bay leaves and ladle soup into individual bowls. We like to enjoy this with some salty crackers or crusty bread.
Notes
How to cook a beef roast:
For all of these options, be sure to brown the roast first. Slice the roast in chunks and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a skillet (or you can do this in the instant pot if using that method) to medium heat and add olive oil. Then add roast (in batches if necessary) and brown pieces on all sides. Remove the roast from heat, and use one of the methods below to continue cooking.- Instant Pot – After browning, add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth to cover the roast. Pressure cook on high for 55 minutes, and do a natural release for 15 minutes. Remove roast, cool slightly, and shred.
- Slow Cooker – Once browned, add the roast to a slow cooker. Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth to cover the roast. Cook on high for about 5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.. When it falls apart easily, it’s done.
- Stove Top – After browning the roast, use the same stock pot to make soup. Deglaze the pan as you add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth to cover then roast. Cook, with lid on, at medium-high heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef falls apart easily.
- Oven – Once browned, add the roast to a roaster or dutch oven. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth to cover. Cook, with lid on, on 350 degrees for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender.
Tried this soup last night – wow, very flavorful!! It was my first time ever cooking with barley (can you believe it?!) and my family absolutely loved it!! Will be making it again very soon as this good ol’ Midwest winter is very near!🥶 (I love soup weather!) Thank you for sharing your recipe, Sue! 🥰
Soup weather is the best! Thanks Diane!
We love this soup. Comfort food at its best! Serve it with some homemade French bread (there’s an easy to follow recipe right on this blog).
So glad you enjoyed it, Big Papa!
We really liked this soup. I did add some green beans to it as I wanted more vegetables. It was a nice change from my vegetable beef soup I usually make. I will make it again. Very good!
Thanks Lauri!
I like your recipes, I am new to you but I am going to make a batch of the vegetable barley soup soon. I plan to use tomatoes (one 16 oz can of crushed) and the paste in it also,
Sounds great, Larry! Enjoy. 🙂
I made this soup over the weekend and it is divine!
We love it too! Thanks for your sweet comments. 🙂
YUM! This is exactly what I need to warm up on this cold winter days. Totally trying this soon!
Thanks Karly!! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂