Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

Pull out those pots ladies and gentlemen! We have fall weather and temperatures keep dropping. That means you absolutely have to give this beef and barley soup recipe a try😉. Not only is it a great cold-weather soup, but it is jam-packed with nutritious elements such as celery, carrots, garlic, tomato, kale, and barley. Oh and the best part…It’s super tasty!!

What is Barley?

Barley belongs to the Poaceae (grass) family. The harvested grain is used in various ways. It is primarily grown to feed animals but is also used as a cereal, in soups, and in malt for alcoholic beverages. It is the 4th largest crop in the United States. On the health side, barley is often consumed for its “heart-healthy” benefits.

What You Will Need

• Beef chuck roast: Choose a fatty cut of meat if you wish to substitute.
• All-purpose flour: used to lightly coat the beef pieces, but it also acts as a thickening agent in the soup.
• Salt + black pepper: add more to taste, but remember to taste after each addition.
• Olive oil: I use extra virgin, but if you prefer a neutral oil, canola is a good option as well.
• Celery, carrots, yellow onion: the holy trinity aka mirepoix. These 3 bring a delicious flavor to any soup!
• Garlic cloves: how can you not love garlic? this recipe calls for 5, but 6 won’t hurt either😉
• Tomato paste: don’t get it confused for puree. Tomato paste is highly concentrated.
• Rosemary, sage, thyme: I use dry because they keep longer than fresh, but if you prefer fresh, just double what the recipe calls for.
• Beef broth: low sodium is the way to go! Be cautious with the salt if you don’t use low sodium.
• Soy sauce: again, I used low sodium, so be cautious with the salt if you use it regularly.
• Barley: quick barley cooks in 10 minutes…game changer!
• Kale: don’t like kale? Use spinach instead.
• Parsley: fresh parsley for flavor and garnishing.

How To Make Beef and Barley Soup

• Start by prepping all the veggies. Slice the celery and carrots, rough chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Set them aside.
• Trim all the excess fat from the chuck roast and cut it into small bite-size pieces (about 1-inch pieces). Place them into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt, ½tsp black pepper, and ¼ cup of flour. Mix together until the pieces are well-coated.
• Add 1 tsp of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add a single layer of beef pieces. Do not overcrowd the pot. Allow them to brown for approximately 2 minutes, then turn and let them brown for another minute. Remove them from the pot and repeat these steps until all the beef pieces are brown( I did 3 batches )
• Lower the heat a little and add the mirepoix: onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes then add the minced garlic. Cook for an additional minute, then add the tomato paste. cook for 2 minutes. Then add the beef broth, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage, and salt. Add the beef pieces back in and raise the heat to medium-high.
• Allow the soup to boil (approximately 10 minutes), then lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup quick barley and 2 large handfuls of chopped kale. Stir and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.
• Finely chop some fresh parsley and add it to the soup. Serve hot with a side of crusty bread such as ciabatta (optional)
• Enjoy!

Tips

• I love time-saving tips and tricks, which is why I used quick barley in this recipe. If you can’t find barley, try brown rice instead.
• Use a large zip lock bag instead of a bowl to coat beef in flour.
• Don’t worry about the brown caramelized bits at the bottom of the pot. The veggies usually pick it up, and you can also deglaze it with a little water, broth, or red wine.
• You can most certainly add any veggie you like. Good additions are mushrooms, peas, green beans, spinach, etc.

FAQ

Beef and Barley Soup

Maria Felipa

This soup is full of tender beef chunks, veggies, and barley! It's the coziest soup for cold weather.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 2 Lb Beef chuck roast
• ¼ cup flour all-purpose, or 1 to1 gluten free
• 2 tsp salt +more to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 yellow onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp dried rosemary
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp dried sage
• 2 32 oz cartons low sodium beef broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup quick pearled barley
• 2 big handfulls of chopped kale
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

 

• Start by prepping all the veggies. Slice the celery and carrots, rough chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Set them aside.
• Trim all the excess fat from the chuck roast and cut it into small bite-size pieces (about 1-inch pieces). Place them into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt, ½tsp black pepper, and ¼ cup of flour. Mix together until the pieces are well-coated.
• Add 1 tsp of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add a single layer of beef pieces (Do not overcrowd the pot). Allow them to brown for approximately 2 minutes, then turn and let them brown for another minute. Remove them from the pot and repeat these steps until all the beef pieces are brown( I did 3 batches )
• Lower the heat a little and add the mirepoix: onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes then add the minced garlic. Cook for an additional minute, then add the tomato paste. cook for 2 minutes. Then add the beef broth, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage, and salt. Add the beef pieces back in and raise the heat to medium-high.
• Allow the soup to boil (approximately 10 minutes), then lower the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup quick barley and 2 large handfuls of chopped kale. Stir and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.
• Finely chop some fresh parsley and add it to the soup. Serve hot with a side of crusty bread such as ciabatta (optional)
• Enjoy!

Notes

Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

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