Textual Chef

Beef Barley Soup

A hearty, deeply flavored soup made with tender chunks of beef chuck, pearl barley, and root vegetables in a rich beef broth. Perfect cold-weather comfort food that improves overnight.

110 minEasyServes 6360 cal/serving

AmericanSoupStovetopHigh Protein

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2/3 cup pearl barley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Pat 1.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes dry with paper towels and season all over with 1.5 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

  2. 2

    Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

  3. 3

    Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 2 diced carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add 4 cloves minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens slightly.

  5. 5

    Return the seared beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Pour in 8 cups low-sodium beef broth and add 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

  6. 6

    Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the beef begins to turn tender.

  7. 7

    Add 2/3 cup pearl barley to the pot. Continue simmering, partially covered, for an additional 30-35 minutes until the barley is tender and the beef is fully cooked through (internal temperature at least 160°F / 71°C).

  8. 8

    Remove the bay leaves. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

  9. 9

    Ladle into bowls and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Cook it with the batch dial

Textual Chef is a plain-text cooking reference of 2,009 recipes. In the app, this entry scales itself — half, standard, or double batch, every quantity recomputed inside the step that uses it — and the ingredient list files itself into an aisle-ordered shopping list. No ads, no life stories, no photos of somebody else's dinner.

Open the appThe first 30 days are free.

More American entries

All American recipes · All Soup recipes