Homemade Beef & Barley Soup

I’ve been making this homemade Beef & Barley Soup recipe for more than 30 years, and back when I had my deli and catering business, this was a popular lunchtime pick. I must have made hundreds of gallons of it back then, and today, it’s still one of my family’s most requested soups. Hungry? Let’s get cooking!

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Hearty, filling, delicious, and nutritious, this is a classic beef barley soup. It’s filled with tender chunks of meat, just the right amount of barley, and plenty of veg.

Ready to make something delicious! Let’s go!

Ingredients

• Beef – I use stew beef, cut into small pieces—small enough to fit on a spoon with other veggies. Chuck roast, cut into cubes, also works. Don’t use lean beef—it’ll dry out during the long simmer.
• Beef stock/broth – Use homemade if you have it or can make it. Otherwise, look for a good brand without added color or caramel flavoring. Go low-sodium or no-salt-added if you can so you can control the salt level.
• Barley – I use pearl barley, and it’s so nutritious! This is my go-to for beef and barley soup. It cooks up tender with a slight chew and adds heartiness and nutrition without overpowering the soup.
• Carrot – Dice them evenly so they soften at the same rate as the other vegetables and add natural sweetness to the broth.
• Onion – Yellow or white onion works. Red onion is too sweet for this soup.
• Celery – Classic soup staple. Dice it small so it blends into the broth instead of standing out in big chunks.
• Peas – Frozen peas work best. Add them at the very end so they don’t turn mushy. Fresh peas work but are harder to find.
• Corn – Frozen corn works perfectly from frozen. Don’t thaw it first. Fresh corn works too—cut it off the cob.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic only. Jarred garlic won’t give the same clean flavor and can turn bitter when cooked.
• Vegetable oil – Use a neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or avocado. You’ll need it for browning the beef.
• Salt and pepper – Taste before adding all of it—the broth already adds salt.

How To Make Vegetable Beef & Barley Soup

Cook the barley in water until firm but still tender.

Brown the beef in oil. Set aside.

Sauté the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic in oil until soft. Add the beef and sautéed veggies to a large pot, along with the beef stock, and simmer.

Add the barley and remaining veggies. Season and serve!

How To Make Beef & Barley Soup in the Instant Pot

Set the Instant Pot to sautee and add the oil. Brown the seasoned beef and remove.

Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Sautee for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sautee an additional minute or until fragrant.

Add about 1/4 cup of beef broth to the Instant Pot and scrape up all the bits. Turn sautee off. Add the remaining beef broth, and put the beef chunks and barley into the pot. Seal it and set it to Soup/Stew (or High Pressure) for 25 minutes.

Natural release for 5 minutes, then manual release. Add the frozen peas to the still boiling liquid. Season and serve!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• I like to cook the barley separately that way it doesn’t absorb all my beef broth.
• I use fresh veggies with the exception of the peas and corn. If I had fresh peas and corn, I’d use that but they’re rarely in season when I make this soup.
• Stewing beef is an easy and cheap beef for this dish, but use whatever you’ve got on hand.

MAke It A Meal

I love a soup and salad combination, or soup and sandwich. But, this easy soup recipe is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own, though for my boys, I usually put some good crusty bread out on the table to fill them up. For dessert, check out this Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe!

Is This Beef Soup Freezer Friendly?

Heck ya! I freeze this soup all the time, and if there’s none currently in my freezer then you can bet I’ll be making it soon.

To freeze this homemade Beef & Barley soup, chill it thoroughly first.

BUT

What I like to do is drain all the chunks (barley, veg, beef and everything) and chill it separately from the broth because barley will keep absorbing liquid. If you chilled this soup overnight with the barley in it, you’d find most of your liquid gone the next morning.

Then, simply package your soup (chunks and liquid) in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months.

The barley will not absorb more liquid once it is frozen. To reheat, warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop.