Beef Barley Soup is a cozy, old‑fashioned classic packed with tender chunks of beef, nutty pearl barley, and a medley of vegetables simmered in a deeply flavored broth. It is the kind of soup that warms you from the inside out, perfect for cold evenings, lazy Sundays, or stocking the freezer with ready‑to‑heat dinners.
What makes this soup special is the way each component contributes something different: the beef brings richness and protein, the barley adds chew and heartiness, and the vegetables provide natural sweetness and color. A slow simmer melds everything together into a bowl that tastes even better the next day, making it ideal for meal prep or cooking once and eating multiple times.
Ingredients for Beef Barley Soup
The ingredient list for Beef Barley Soup is straightforward, but using good‑quality basics and paying attention to a few details gives the finished soup a restaurant‑worthy flavor. Quantities below yield about 6 hearty servings.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound stew beef, cut into 1/2‑inch pieces (chuck roast or round work well)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2–3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6–7 cups beef broth, preferably low sodium
- 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 1–2 teaspoons dried thyme or 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1–2 tablespoons tomato paste or a splash of Worcestershire sauce (optional, for deeper flavor)
- 1 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika (optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Continue to the next page to get the full ingredients notes and steps