This easy beef barley soup in a crock pot combines tender beef, vegetables, and plump barley for hearty, old-fashioned comfort food. An easy, hands-off recipe with stovetop directions included.
🤔 What type of barley is best for beef barley soup?
- Pearl barley: Best choice for easy, reliable results.
- Hulled barley: Works well but has a chewier texture.
- Quick or instant barley: Avoid—it cooks too fast for this crock pot recipe.
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Featured Comment by Josephine:
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"I have made this numerous times since I found the recipe in 2019. It is an all-time favorite for every occasion."
📝 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What: Classic beef barley soup in a crock pot with tender beef, vegetables, and plump barley.
Why: Hands-off and flexible—make it in a 2-quart mini crock pot or scale up for the family, with stovetop directions included.
How: Brown the beef (optional), add everything to the crock pot, and cook until tender—about 8 hours on LOW.
🥣 Ingredients
- Beef — well-trimmed chuck roast or stew meat, cut into bite-size cubes
- Vegetables — carrots, celery, and potato; other vegetables may be added
- Barley — pearl barley preferred; hulled also works
- Aromatics — onion and garlic
- Pantry — beef broth, tomato paste, vegetable oil, salt, and black pepper
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup
1. Prep the beef — Use stew meat or trim a chuck roast into bite-size cubes.
2. Optional browning — Dust with flour and sear in hot oil for about 5 minutes. Add crushed garlic in the last minute.
3. Chop vegetables — Dice celery, potato, carrots, and onion; add to the crock pot.
4. Add the rest — Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper, rinsed barley, and beef broth.
5. Cook — Cook on LOW for about 8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender.
📌 This is just the overview. See the recipe card or step-by-step photos below for full instructions.
🔄 Options & Variations
- Barley Texture: Add the barley at the start for a softer result, or halfway through for a firmer bite.
- Vegetables: Carrots, celery, and potatoes form the base, but frozen corn, green beans, or peas can join in. (Add peas in the last hour so they stay bright.)
- Optional Seasoning: A splash of Worcestershire or a pinch of thyme or basil adds extra depth.
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↕️ Scaling: For Two or Family Size
This recipe makes about 7–8 cups, or four large servings, and fits comfortably in a 3–4 quart crock pot.
- Half recipe: About 4 cups (2 servings) and fits a 2-quart mini crock pot.
- Full recipe: About 7–8 cups (4 large servings) and fits a 3–4 quart crock pot.
- Double recipe: Use a 6-quart or larger crock pot.
- Cooking time: About the same when scaling up or down.
Scaling the ingredients: In the recipe card, change the number of servings. Use the amounts in the ingredients list—the instructions do not adjust automatically.
♨️ Stovetop Option
- Brown the beef: Dust the beef with flour and brown in a little oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot, then remove.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add a little more oil if needed and sauté until softened, about 8–10 minutes.
- Combine: Return the beef, stir in tomato paste, seasonings, barley, and broth.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 45–60 minutes until the beef, barley, and carrots are tender.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a salad and crusty bread, biscuits, or cornbread. Some favorites:
❄️ Leftovers & Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months. Portion into freezer-safe containers to make reheating easier.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium heat, or use the microwave. Add a splash of broth or water if it’s too thick.
❓ FAQs
Use ½ cup of pearl barley for the full recipe. Add it at the beginning for softer barley or halfway through cooking for a firmer texture.
Yes. Rinse the barley briefly under running water before adding it to remove dust or debris from processing.
No. Add the uncooked barley directly to the soup. It cooks along with the other ingredients and helps thicken the broth.
•Hulled barley: Only the outer husk removed; considered whole grain, chewier, and more nutritious.
•Pearl barley: Bran layer removed and polished, softer and less nutritious, but most common.
•Quick/instant barley: Partially cooked and dried (like minute rice). Ready in 10–15 minutes, but not recommended for this recipe.
😊 Related Crock Pot Soup Recipes
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound chuck roast or stew meat - cubed
- 1–2 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 1 potato - medium
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt - to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup uncooked barley - rinsed
- 4–5 cups low-sodium beef broth
- flour—for optional dusting beef to brown
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the beef — Use stew meat or trim a chuck roast into bite-size cubes.
- Optional browning — Dust with flour, then brown in 1 tablespoon oil for about 5 minutes. Add 1–2 cloves crushed garlic during the last minute.
- Dice 2 ribs of celery, 1 medium potato, 2 carrots, and 1 medium onion. Add to a 3–4-quart or larger crock pot.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup uncooked rinsed barley. Finally, add 4–5 cups of beef broth.
- Cook on LOW for about 8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
You can skip browning and add everything to the crock pot — it will still be excellent. Use pearl (softer) or hulled (chewier, more nutritious) barley. Skip quick/instant. Rinse the barley under running water before cooking to remove dust or debris. Add a can of diced tomatoes, but then use 4 cups of broth. For firmer barley, add it halfway through cooking. Fits a 3–4 quart crock pot. Half recipe = 2-quart mini. Double recipe = 6–8 quarts. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published December 3, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Kasia says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Hi Joy,
Glad that round work well for you.
Dan
Joy Roma says
Can I use Round? Chuck was way too expensive.
DrDan says
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 says
The round came out perfect. Not tough at all. 😉
Toni says
So so good! Everyone loved it! Definitely added to my favorites!
Barbara says
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 says
Hi Barbara,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks so much for the suggestions, I'm sure they will be useful.
Dan
RossC says
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 says
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 says
You're right and fixed. I had it in the discussion/instructions but not in the list.
Chris says
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 says
Finally I found a PURE Beef Barley recipe. I don't like chuck roast so I will use something like sirloin..
sam brown says
This is my all time favorite soup!! So glad to see it without green beans ... many thanks to your wife!
DrDan says
My wife laughed and said you're welcome.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Lara says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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.