Beef Barley Soup (One Pot)

Quick and easy beef barley soup recipe, made with simple ingredients in one pot on stovetop. A weeknight meal loaded with Italian seasoning, vegetables, tender beef.

This one pot beef barley soup is a delicious soup recipe that comes together quickly but still tastes so rich and flavorful. Even kids approve!

It also freezes well and is a great weekly meal plan option. It’s just as amazing as my Vegetable Beef Soup (One Pot).

This is the best beef and barley soup recipe!

This classic, old fashioned, traditional meal is a cross between a stew and a soup and has rich Italian flavors. It’s cozy, hearty and the perfect weeknight meal, especially during chilly Winters.

How do you make beef barley soup recipe?

1. Saute meat in butter and oil.
2. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and saute until fragrant.
3. Mix in tomatoes.
4. Cover and cook.
5. Uncover and add potatoes, celery, carrots, barley.
6. Cover and cook again.
7. Uncover and add corn and peas.
8. Cover and cook.
9. Uncover and cook until liquid is reduced soup thickens.
10. Garnish with parsley and you are done.

Can you cook barley in soup?

Yes, absolutely. Add it in the final 30-40 minutes of cooking.

What spices go in beef barley soup?

Italian seasoning is the classic choice buy other seasoning blends of your choice can be used (Indian, Cajun e.t.c.) for a different flavor profile.

How long does pearl barley take to cook in soup?

It takes about 30-40 minutes for it to become tender, when cooked on medium high heat.

What sides to serve with soup?

• Homemade biscuits
• Dinner rolls
• Breadsticks
• Crackers
• Salad
• Roasted vegetables
• Garlic bread
• Cornbread
• Grilled cheese sandwiches

Tips and variations

-Adjust the amount of seasonings and veggies, based on your preference.

-Use small cubes of meat because it will cook faster and become very tender.

-Use low sodium broth to prevent soup from becoming too salty.

-Instead of barley, you can add small uncooked pasta (e.g. Ditalini or shells or macaroni).

-Add sliced mushrooms in the final 20-30 minutes to make beef barley mushroom soup.

-If you have never worked with barley, it’s actually very similar to brown rice, in terms of size and texture.  I highly recommend using pearl barley since it works the best in this soup.

-Also, barley has a tendency to absorb a lot of liquid, which can make the soup very thick. To prevent this, you can mix in additional broth at the end OR you can cook barley separately and simply mix that into the soup at the end (in the final 5-10 minutes).

-The best and affordable meat options would be chuck cubes, stew meat or even flank steak. You can also make this soup with ground beef. Just remember to drain fat, after browning. You can also use leftover beef like pot roast or steak or roast beef. Just mix it in the soup in the last 30 minutes. It can be cubed or shredded.

-If you are planning on freezing this soup, don’t add potatoes because they taste weird when they thaw.

-To make Slow cooker beef barley soup/ Crock pot beef barley soup, add all in the ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy.

Other one pot soup recipes

• Easy Vegetable Soup (One Pot)
• One Pot Lasagna Soup
• Pasta Fagioli/ Pasta E Fagioli (One Pot)

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One Pot Beef Barley Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Quick and easy beef barley soup recipe, made with simple ingredients in one pot on stovetop. A weeknight meal loaded with Italian seasoning, vegetables, tender beef.

Yield: 6 People

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1.5 pound Stew meat cubes, Or chuck roast (Trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 1/3 cup Onion, Finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Garlic, Finely minced
• Salt, To taste
• Pepper, To taste
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup Tomato sauce, Or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 8 cups Beef broth, Low sodium
• 2-3 medium Potatoes, Peeled, Diced, Cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 stalks Celery, Diced
• 3 medium Carrots, Peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup Peal barley
• 1/2 cup Corn, Frozen
• 1/2 cup Peas, Frozen
• 1-2 tbsp Fresh parsley, Roughly chopped, For garnish

Instructions 

• Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick pot over medium high heat. 
• Add meat and cook until golden brown..
• Then, saute onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning until fragrant. 
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth.
• Cover and cook for 25 minutes. 
• Mix in potatoes, celery, carrots, barley.
• Cover and cook for 25 minutes. 
• Add corn and peas.
• Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. 
• Then, cook uncovered for a few more minutes on high heat to reduce liquid until soup thickens to your desired consistency. 
• Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Notes

• Read all my tips above.
• Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 1478mg, Potassium: 1030mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 5665IU, Vitamin C: 14.9mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 4.6mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 378

Author: Abeer

Happy cooking everyone!