Best Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup Recipe (2024)

Published: Oct 27, 2015 · Modified: Mar 29, 2021 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Chunky and hearty soup for a fall or winter meal. This Classic Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup is easy to make. It’s comfort food at its best!

It’s Halloween week! I love Halloween week!I always make the most of this week, squeezing in as many scary movies/shows as possible. Dan thinks I’m crazy, but he patiently puts up with my obsession. He threatens to make me watch all of the Rambos and Terminators next week, but I know he doesn’t mean it. 🙂

Another obsession of mine right now is fall food! This soup is definitely on my fall comfort food list. It is the BEST! I love it thick and chunky, but feel free to add extra broth or water for a soupier version. You need not look any further for the best beef and barley soup recipe!

I’d really love to chat more, but American Horror Story is calling. Priorities! Have a great Halloween week, friends!

If you love this recipe, you’ll also love the easiest version of Chicken Wild Rice Soup you’ll ever meet! Also these Chicken and Dumplings and my favorite Loaded Potato Soup on the planet!

Crockpot Beef and Barley

Super thick and comforting soup for a chilly fall or winter meal!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 244.78kcal

Author: Megan Porta

Equipment

▢
Crock Pot

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/2 lbs. stew meat cut into bite-size chunks
▢ 1 yellow onion chopped
▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
▢ 5 carrots peeled and sliced
▢ 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
▢ 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
▢ Salt and pepper to taste
▢ 32 oz. container beef broth
▢ 2 cups water
▢ 1 cup barley
▢ 6 oz. can tomato paste
▢ 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
▢ 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

Instructions

Cook stew meat in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, parsley, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add contents of the skillet to a crockpot along with beef broth, water, barley, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes. Mix well and cook on High heat for 4-5 hours or Low heat for 7-8 hours.

Notes

Cook 7-8 hours, 30 minutes (Low Heat) or 4-5 hours, 30 minutes (High Heat)

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Patrick Smith
December 08, 2018 at 4:27 pm
Thank you for this recipe. I like your photo report.
Reply
- Megan Porta
  December 10, 2018 at 4:25 am
  You’re welcome!
  Reply
convert word
December 08, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Thanks for the great recipe. You know, it’s important to feel good in the morning. No wonder they say that we are what we eat. I always have to feel good to work on my project. With your recipes, my wife never ceases to amaze me.
P.S. Amazing photo report!
Reply
See Also
Best Hearty Soup Recipes
- Megan Porta
  December 10, 2018 at 4:24 am
  Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
  Reply
Evelyn Adams
October 18, 2018 at 9:06 pm
Thank you for this recipe, I love to cook soups, I have a lot of memories from my childhood. As a child, my grandmother and mother, preparing soup for dinner, usually said — meat soup, added rice or vermicelli. Or chicken soup, again-with rice or any cereal. Admit, having heard about meat soup, unconsciously always expected, that soup consists of meat and broth. Everything else in it seemed out of place and superfluous. As it turned out, meat soup made of meat only exists. Moreover, there are many such soups. My favorite meat soup is French clarified broth or very rich and salted broth with a pie — consomme, cooked from chicken or beef. A good meat soup is obtained from not very young beef with bone. Of course, veal tender and softer, but normal beef with prolonged boiling gives a fine dense broth, which is ideal not only for a simple soup of meat, but also for red borsch or Georgian soup kharcho. Very good broth is obtained from beef ribs or brisket — they have a lot of meat and bones that provide both.
Reply
- Megan Porta
  October 18, 2018 at 10:53 pm
  It’s fun to have a memory tied to a delicious meal. Then learn to make that meal for yourself and expand on it the way you like it!
  Reply
saritax
July 27, 2018 at 10:36 am
Cut barley to 1/3 cup, only 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 teaspoon thyme, bay leaf, and 2 beef shanks for extra marrow. Richer beef broth. Turns out very good. Usually double the recipe and but some in glass canning jars and freeze for the winter.
Reply
- Megan Porta
  July 28, 2018 at 2:36 am
  Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
  Reply
online essay writer
April 12, 2018 at 12:34 pm
Thanks for a healthy recipe. I’d like to prepare it before the gym. Interesting, how much calories in it? As for me, one of the reasons for cooking this dish it’s that it includes carrot. As it well known, carrot improving eyesight. For me, as for online essay writer it’s very important.
I’m very grateful to you.
Reply
- Megan Porta
  April 16, 2018 at 2:45 am
  Thank you!
  Recipes vary so much from person to person and the brand of ingredients they use however there are some great websites out there to help you determine the value of calories. One I use myself is https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076.
  Reply
Dawn
January 13, 2018 at 6:19 pm
Cut barley to 1/3 cup, only 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 teaspoon thyme, bay leaf, and 2 beef shanks for extra marrow. Richer beef broth. Turns out very good. Usually double the recipe and but some in glass canning jars and freeze for the winter.
Reply
- Megan Porta
  January 25, 2018 at 8:05 pm
  Sounds delicious!
  Reply
Jo
November 19, 2017 at 7:11 pm
Sorry, but this was a serious disappointment. Followed your recipe precisely. What I wound up with looked nothing like your pictures. The tomato flavor from the tomato paste and the diced tomatoes job overwhelmed everything else, so what I wound up with was a chunky tomato soup. Not what I was looking for. I love beef barley soup, but this wasn’t it.
Reply
- Megan Porta
  November 20, 2017 at 2:00 am
  Nooo! I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you. We adore this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jo!
  Megan
  Reply
annemarie @justalittlebitofbacon
January 22, 2016 at 9:57 pm
Hi! Your stew looked so yummy I included it in my latest buzzfeed post!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/annemariewalker/17-meals-that-will-make-you-wish-for-cold-weather-20ib5
I’m trying to get some buzz on it, so it would be awesome if you could upvote the article and share it across social media. Have a great weekend. 🙂
Reply

Best Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my beef barley soup have no flavor? ›

Why does my beef and barley soup have no flavor? Beef and barley soup/stew benefits greatly from aromatics like onions, as well as acids like red wine or tomatoes and tomato paste, which add a bright note. Cooking long and slow also deepens the flavor.

See Details ›

Should I cook barley before adding it to soup? ›

Do you cook barley before adding it to soup? Your beef barley soup will simmer long enough to cook the barley. There is no need for the additional step of cooking the barley first. The barley takes about 30 minutes to cook completely.

How to add more flavor to beef soup? ›

You can use beef bouillon cubes to enhance flavor as well! I like to braise bones with tomato paste until well done and golden brown and then use those to make a beef broth with carrots, celery, garlic and a combination of thyme, and rosemary and bay leaf. Boil it all together for 3–4 hours at a low simmer!

Learn More ›

How to thicken up beef barley soup? ›

Cover the pot and allow the beef to cook in the broth for 20 minutes. Add the vegetables, barley, Worcestershire, soy, garlic, thyme, and parsley. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. If the end results are not a thick as you'd like (I like it thicker) combine the water and cornstarch and add it to the soup.

Find Out More ›

How can I deepen my soup flavor? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

Explore More ›

What adds flavor to bland soup? ›

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Our Lemony Chicken Soup will make your mouth water.

Discover More ›

How do you fix bland beef soup? ›

The best way to ensure a flavorful soup is to brown the beef and onions in the beginning. If the soup tastes bland at the end of cooking, add more spices and herbs. After adding, allow the soup to cook a little longer so the flavors to meld together.

Discover More ›

What spice enhances beef flavor? ›

Beef tastes great when seasoned with oregano, rosemary, sage, garlic or a combination of these seasonings. Poultry gets an added burst of flavor with spices like paprika, lemongrass and saffron. Fish can be made more flavorful with dry mustard powder, thyme and turmeric.

Explore More ›

What is the most flavorful beef for soup? ›

The best cut of meat for beef soup is either a chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast or top chuck – with chuck roast being my personal favorite. These are the most tender cuts.

Get More Info Here ›

Can you overcook barley in a soup? ›

Overcooked barley will become mushy, while undercooked may have a thicker and chewier texture. You can make barley as a side dish, but you can also cook it into your food. Feel free to cook our pearled barley in your favorite soup or stew, but be mindful that it will absorb a lot of liquid.

Learn More Now ›

How do you keep barley from getting soggy in soup? ›

Since the barley can absorb too much of the liquid when made ahead, and get mushy, I find it best to cook the barley separately. Make as directed, just omitting the barley. Cool completely and refrigerate.

Why is my barley soup slimy? ›

Barley releases a lot of starch which can have an unpleasant effect on the soup...it can make the soup slimy and look like jelly when cold.