Description
This Beef Barley Soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for warming up on chilly days. Tender beef, hearty barley, and flavorful vegetables come together in a rich and satisfying broth that’s sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the soup:
- 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups diced potatoes (optional)
For garnish:
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sear the beef: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper, then sear in batches until browned on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Remove beef and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients: Return beef to the pot and stir in beef broth, barley, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender and barley is cooked.
- Finish the soup: If using potatoes, add them in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- For deeper flavor, brown the beef in batches to avoid steaming.
- Soup can be made ahead and tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Soup, Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
