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Overhead close-up of a loaded bowl of hearty beef barley soup with tender beef, barley, and vegetables on a light beige counter, garnished with fresh parsley.

Hearty Beef Barley Soup

Thick, rich beef barley soup with melt-in-your-mouth beef chunks, chewy pearl barley, and tender vegetables in a savory broth. This one-pot wonder tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully for easy meal prep.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 310 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Instructions
 

  • Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil and onion to pot. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened, scraping up brown bits. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, and tomato paste. Stir and cook 2 minutes until paste darkens slightly.
  • Return beef to pot with any juices. Add broth, water, barley, bay leaves, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 60-75 minutes, stirring occasionally. Beef should be fork-tender and barley plump. Add more water if too thick.
  • Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in fresh parsley and serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

STORAGE: Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezes well for up to 3 months. Soup will thicken when refrigerated; add broth or water when reheating.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Use farro instead of pearl barley (same cooking time). Swap mushrooms for extra carrots. Ground beef works in a pinch (brown and drain first, add during last 20 minutes).
SLOW COOKER METHOD: Brown beef and sauté aromatics first, then transfer everything to slow cooker. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
Keyword beef barley soup, hearty soup recipe, one pot soup