Hearty beef barley soup with chunks of tender beef with some veggies and barley. A crock pot soup that you can start in the morning and eat in the evening. Make a pot today for that cold weather day.
Editor's Note: Originally published December 3, 2016. Updated with expanded text and re-edited photos.
I needed a hardy soup. It needed to not require any intention. No add this or shred that in the middle. Just prepare in the morning for the evening. Screaming crock pot and beef to me.
So I looked around a little. I starred at my Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup.
My wife had some definite ideas. Mostly garlic, she craves garlic and this needed garlic. Also, she was not looking for a vegetable beef soup with barley. No green beans and no tomatoes. OK, I can do that.
My Rating
It's a nice middle 4. She had two serving.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Hearty Beef Barley Soup
The Barley
Some recipes cooked it separately and added near the end. Some added with 2 or 4 hours before done.
Most added at the beginning and that works great. I feel that the texture was fine when added at the start of cooking. If you want firmer barley, put it in at the halfway point.
Pearl barley is the most common form of barley available. Pearl barley has the outer husk, and bran layers have been removed. Pearl barley is softer but is lacking a bit of the nutrition. Either pearl or husk barley works here.
The amount of barley I suggested is 1/2 cup. It seems like that would not be much. It will take up a lot of space, so that is about the maximum you want.
Final note, rinse under running water before cooking to wash away any dust or debris.
The Beef
I like to brown the beef in recipes like this, so I spent 5 minutes of browning and then I added the garlic to bloom it for a minute or two.
If you don't use non-stick pan then, you might need to add a little broth to the pan after moving the beef to deglaze the pan.
You may use store trimmed stew meat, but I like to use a chuck roast and trim it myself.
The Recipe Size.
I had a 2 pound plus chuck roast and the recipes I was using to model used 2 pounds. That makes way too much for a "cooking for two" website.
The pictures show the "double" two pound of beef size of recipe, but all the discussion is for my suggested "cooking for two" size with one pound of beef.
Crock Pot Size.
The recipe is written should fit nicely in a 3 1/2-4 qt. crock pot. If you do the "double" size, then a full size 6-8 qt. crock pot would be good.
I forgot the tomato paste for the photo. Also, the pictures are for a full "double" recipe. The recipe card is set for half the amount. So the discussion is also adjusted to half.
Start with about 1 pound of chuck roast. Trim and cut into bite-size pieces.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef to brown for about 5 minutes. Add 1-2 cloves crushed garlic for the last minute of browning. Move to a crock pot.
Dice 2 stalks celery, 1 medium potato, 1 1/2 carrots, and one medium onion. Add to crock pot.
Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup uncooked rinsed barley. Finally, add 4-5 cups beef broth.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
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Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound chuck roast - cubed or use stew meat
- 1-2 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 1/2 carrots - medium
- 1 onion - medium
- 1 potato - medium
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt - to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup uncooked barley - rinsed
- 4-5 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Start with about 1 pound of chuck roast. Trim and cut into bite size pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef to brown for about 5 minutes. Add 1-2 cloves crushed garlic for the last minute of browning. Move to a crock pot.
- Dice 2 stalks celery, 1 medium potato, 1 1/2 carrots, and one medium onion. Add to crock pot.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup uncooked barley. Finally add 4-5 cups beef broth.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- The pictures are double the written instructions.
- The barley was a little heavy. You can decrease by 25% if you want.
- Either pearl or barley with husk may be used.
- Rinse under running water before cooking to wash away any dust or debris.
- Add a can of diced tomatoes if you want but use 4 cups of broth.
- A cup full of green beans may also be added.
- If you like your barley firm, then add it halfway through cooking and not at the beginning.
- As written, this will fit into a smaller 3 1/2 quart crock pot. Use a 6-8 qt crock pot if doubling.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days but will freeze well for several months.
Nutrition
Originally Published December 3, 2016
Kasia
Fabulous. We make this all the time. I was in love with the Beef Barley soup that was a staple in the college cafeteria! I think this might be close, but much better. I am a lover of barley. We add mushrooms sometimes. Love, love, love.
Charlene
Love Love Love this soup - directions were easy to follow and the soup easy to make! Thank you for all the time you put into this blog - I love your recipes!
JoJo Beans
I doubled it because we freeze portions for lunches. I started late, can I cook it on high for an hour then put it on low for 5 or 6?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi JoJo,
Welcome to the blog.
That will work probably. What high does on a crock pot is to get to a near boiling temperature faster than low. So an hour on high might cut as much as 3 hours off the cooking time. Determine the end point by the potatoes and carrots being tender.
Dan
Candice
Prepared as is and it was perfect. Wouldn’t change a single thing. Will definitely be making this a regular dish in our home.
Joy Roma
BEST. SOUP. EVER. Though I did make a few small changes. The price of chuck was ridiculous, so I used top round instead. I also dredged the meat in flour because I like a little thicker soup, and I eliminated the celery since I didn't have any. I also used equal amounts of bold beef broth and regular. The soup was perfect!
DrDan
Hi Joy,
Glad that round work well for you.
Dan
Joy Roma
Can I use Round? Chuck was way too expensive.
DrDan
Hi Joy,
Welcome to the blog.
I would not use round. It is way too lean to be tender here. You will likely end up with chunks of tough beef. Stew meat should work and is usually cheaper here. Or next week chuck roast will be on sale.
Dan
Joy Roma
The round came out perfect. Not tough at all. 😉
Toni
So so good! Everyone loved it! Definitely added to my favorites!
Barbara
If you want rice or pasta I suggest you cook it in the broth ahead of time, drain the extra broth into the pot,coat the pasta or rice with a small amount of oil to stop it from sticking together. Refrigerate until the soup has about 30 minutes left to cook,heat the rice/pasta in the microwave a minute or two and then add to the soup. That way it does not over cook but still has the flavour of the beef soup. Just remember pasta does not freeze well and you might need to thicken it a little more.
DrDan
Hi Barbara,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks so much for the suggestions, I'm sure they will be useful.
Dan
RossC
The weather is crying out for this soup...
I haven't enjoyed a barley soup in a while... Time to do so...
Rosina Morrone-Reeves
The photo's of your Beef Barley Soup look wonderful. It is in the photo's that I see you are adding the Beef Broth. The Beef Broth ingredient is missing from your written recipe or am i missing it?
DrDan
You're right and fixed. I had it in the discussion/instructions but not in the list.
Chris
This weather has had me in a stew mood lately. We've done it twice in the past week and I could still go for a bowl of yours.
Cheryl Cuddy
Finally I found a PURE Beef Barley recipe. I don't like chuck roast so I will use something like sirloin..
sam brown
This is my all time favorite soup!! So glad to see it without green beans ... many thanks to your wife!
DrDan
My wife laughed and said you're welcome.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Lara
This looks SO good! I think I have all ingredients on hand to make tomorrow. For the non-barley lover, rice would probably work just as well?
DrDan
Perhaps the rice. I would need to test. Something like a long grain wild rice which holds up better. The less processed the better I think for the crock pot. My fear with the rice is that it would just become a big pot of rice with some beef. Also once rice overcooks, it is bad.
I think of rice as not very forgiving since it took me awhile to get it right. Crock pots are quite variable so I try to use forgiving ingredients like beans, meat, carrots etc.... OK I will stop rambling.
DrDan
It is based on the barley with it taking up a lot of the "space." The only thing the comes to mind is green beans or something, but proportions would be off...
I like my vegetable beef soup https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/crock-pot-vegetable-beef-soup/ . The meat and beans take up the "space." You will see the about same amount of meat makes less soup. Maybe add a medium potato and some garlic, and you would almost be there.
It is just soup, so almost anything you do to it will be OK.
Dan
Leslie
I also love simple soups, recipe sounds good and plan to make this week. However, we don't like barley, do you have any suggestions for a substitute? Thank you, leslie (made crock pot candy, loved by everyone!)
Marie
I'm a little late to the party, but any short cut pasta such as ditalini or macaroni would make a nice swap out for the barley.