Why we love this beef barley soup recipe
It’s finally Halloween, and it’s a big Halloween for us. Today is actually my due date for baby number two, but we were lucky enough to meet him a week early, which makes this our very first Halloween as a family of four.
We’re already comfy at home and getting back into the swing of things. I’ll be sharing more about our newest addition later this week.
I’m so happy Ellie isn’t missing out on the festivities because Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays. I think it’s because it’s was filled with excitement and I associate it with the coziness of fall.
I have so many great childhood Halloween memories, and I’ve always loved it. This year, Ellie decided months in advance, and our little bat witch will be trick-or-treating with her dad while her brother and I hand out candy tonight.
Those memories include a big bowl of healthy vegetable beef barley soup before we went out hunting for candy and warm apple crisp for dessert when we got back. We had it every single year (as far as I can remember at least), and when I moved away with Marc, I started making it myself.
I published it a few years back, while we were living in France, but since the photos were rather unappetizing and I used French ingredients in the original recipe, I thought I’d revisit the recipe and update it a bit.
→ If you like this soup recipe, you should try these: red wine beef stew / easy chicken tortilla soup / Wisconsin booyah / Guinness braised beef
Ingredient notes:
- Beef stew meat – You can either use pre cut stew meat from the store, which usually includes a mixture of chuck roast and similar cuts or cube your own from a single chuck roast.
- Beef base – Either beef bouillon cubes, bouillon powder or a beef base paste can work for this recipe. See the note below regarding hidden dairy.
- Quick cooking barley – Quick cooking barley has been partially precooked and sometimes pearled, meaning the outer bran layer has been removed. This process reduces the cooking time significantly, dropping the cooking time from 45-60 minutes down to 10-15 minutes.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
I use quick barley for this soup recipe, which you don’t need to soak and comes par-steamed so the cook time is much faster. If you have traditional pearled barley, you will need to cook it for a bit long, about 20 – 30 extra minutes, and you may need to adjust your water volume.
I use quick barley for this soup recipe, which you don’t need to soak and comes par-steamed so the cook time is much faster. If you have traditional pearled barley, you will need to cook it for a bit long, about 20 – 30 extra minutes, and you may need to adjust your water volume.
The easiest way to add flavor to soup is to simply add salt or bouillon, but the addition of onion, garlic, celery and even carrot is a great flavor base for soup.
Bouillon cubes & soup base
Bouillon is one of those products that is full of hidden dairy, especially beef bouillon. Make sure you’re checking your labels before using anything that’s in your pantry.
If you’re shopping for new, I recommend checking the organic section or opt for beef base instead of bouillon, but always check your labels.
Vegetable Beef Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons beef base, or 2 bouillon cubes
- 1 ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup quick-cooking barley, uncooked
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
Instructions
- Brown the beef. Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot to medium-high. Pat your beef dry with paper towel and season with salt & pepper. Add olive oil to the pan and when it's hot, add the beef, working in batches if needed. Sear the beef on all sides, until it's no longer pink.
- Simmer the meat. Add the garlic, water, beef base (or bouillon), bay leaf and 1 cup of water to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Let the beef simmer over low for one hour.
- Finish the soup. After one hour, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring it to a boil. Allow it cook at this higher temperature for about 10 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes – or until the barley is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Delicious! Did use a pressure cooker for the beef, but all other ingredients as stated.
I love this recipe, although I used regular barley and just cooked it separately, then added to the soup. I also found thinly sliced stir-fry beef at my grocery store and that worked very well for this recipe.
I use the same cut of beef you mentioned as it’s just right for soup.
I made this recipe following every word…awesome I will make this again and again
Love this soup will do again thanks
Hi Melissa, have a recipe I use for my beef & barley soup but decided to try yours and it’s very delicious. I just wanted to share that with you.
I see the recipe serves 8. How much in each serving? 1c 2c?