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    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

    Published: Oct 27, 2019 · Modified: Sep 10, 2020 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 5 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    beef and barley soup in a slow cooker
    a bowl of beef and barley soup
    a ladle of beef and barley soup
    slow cooker beef and barley soup
    a bowl of beef and barley soup with slices of crusty bread
    dipping bread into beef and barley soup

    Slow cooker beef and barley soup in a white bowl

    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is loaded with tender beef, vegetables, and barley in a fragrant broth. There’s no pre-cooking required – just combine everything in the slow cooker, simmer it low all day, and come home to this comforting meal. 

    This time of year, my idea of busy weeknight heaven is coming home to a hearty, savory soup simmering in the slow cooker. Beef and Barley Soup is one of my all-time favorites. I always serve it with warm, crusty bread, but it really doesn’t need anything on the side at all – it’s a complete meal in a bowl. The best part of this soup? The super fragrant, rich broth that comes from the meat, vegetables, and dried herbs simmering together.

    Do you love freezer meals as much as I do? Check out all of my freezer-friendly meals which each include a printable label to attach to the meal.

    a ladle of beef and barley soup

    Why Make Beef and Barley Soup In the Slow Cooker

    Beef and Barley Soup uses beef stew meat which is lean and prone to drying out as it cooks. The solution? Simmering the beef over very low heat. The slow cooker does all the work for you and prevents the soup from boiling (which can make the beef tough).

    beef and barley soup in the slow cooker

    Ingredients for Beef and Barley Soup

    • Onions, Celery, Carrots – This mix of vegetables, also called “mirepoix”, is a classic base for soups and stews. The onions can be chopped small, but the celery and carrots should be sliced into thick slices so that they will hold up during the long cooking time.
    • Tomato Paste – This adds a rich savory flavor to the soup and thickens the broth slightly.
    • Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes – Any diced tomatoes will work in this soup, but fire-roasted tomatoes give the soup even more depth of flavor. As the name implies, these are tomatoes that are roasted before they’re chopped. Sometimes fire-roasted tomatoes come with added garlic and basil and those would be great additions to the flavors of the soup. The tomatoes should not be spicy, so be sure to check the label and don’t get a version that includes spice or spicy ingredients like jalapeños. 
    • Beef Broth – Beef broth helps to enhance the flavor of the soup. This can be fairly salty, so feel free to grab a low-sodium version if you’re sensitive to salt. (You can always season the soup with more salt at the end of cooking if needed.)
    • Pearl Barley – Be sure to grab “pearl” or “pearled” barley. These are barley grains that have had the tough outer hull removed so they cook faster (in the right amount of time for this soup).
    • Beef Stew Meat – This cut of beef usually comes pre-sliced into cubes. It’s a leaner cut that works well when simmered over low heat. We get ours at Costco and freeze it in 1 lb portions for soups and stews (see below for more uses for beef stew meat).
    • Italian Seasoning, Bay Leaves – These pantry staples add herb flavor to the soup.
    • Fresh Parsley, Lemon Juice – Most slow cooker meals benefit from having a few fresh ingredients added at the end. You can skip the fresh parsley and / or lemon juice stirred in at the end, but they help to highlight and brighten the other flavors in the soup.

     

    a bowl of beef and barley soup with slices of crusty bread

    Substitutes for Beef Stew Meat

    If you prefer to use another cut of meat in place of beef stew meat, try sliced chuck, sirloin, or brisket. Short ribs (bone-in or boneless) or oxtail also make great additions to beef soup or stew.

    Do You Need to Brown the Beef First?

    I never like telling you to (or making myself) do the extra work to brown meat in a skillet unless it’s absolutely necessary. This recipe is improved by including the browning step, though it is not completely necessary. I found that browning the meat first helped it to hold its cubed shape, stay tender, and added a noticeable depth to the flavor. That said, we all really liked the version made without browning the meat. It wasn’t *quite* as good, but if you’re in a rush, I say go for it and skip the browning. 

    browning beef in a skillet

    Freeze This Meal

    To Freeze Beef and Barley Soup: If you’re going to freeze this recipe, combine all ingredients listed below except broth, parsley, and lemon juice in a freezer-safe bag or container. I always recommend leaving some or all of the liquid out of the soup when you freeze it to save space in the freezer. (Just keep a carton of beef broth in the pantry for when you are ready to cook this soup.)

    To Slow Cook Soup: Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. Pour the soup into the bowl of a slow cooker and add 4 cups of Beef Stock. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. 

    Print the recipe below for a printable label you can attach to the top of the freezer meal. 

    Slow cooker beef and barley soup in a freezer bag

    Other Ways to Use Beef Stew Meat

    • Instant Pot Korean Beef and Brown Rice – This recipe that uses pantry / freezer staples is a regular at our house. The beef simmers in a rich, savory and sweet sauce that you can spice to your liking (or not at all).
    • Mississippi Roast – This slow cooker meal calls for whole chuck roast but it would be great with beef stew meat as well. Just follow the directions, including browning the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. 
    • Slow Cooker Sesame Beef and Broccoli

    Favorite Tools

    • KitchenAid Slow Cooker (6 quart) – This $99 machine has been a staple in my kitchen for years and works better than any other slow cooker I’ve used.

    dipping bread into beef and barley soup

    a bowl of beef and barley soup
    Print Recipe
    3.31 from 23 votes

    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is loaded with tender beef, vegetables, and barley in a fragrant broth. Simmer it low all day long and end the day with this comforting meal. Best served with warm, buttery slices of fresh bread.
    This recipe should be made in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time7 hrs
    Total Time7 hrs 10 mins
    Course: Main Dish
    Keyword: beef recipe, easy freezer meal, freezer friendly, healthy recipe, slow-cooker
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 314kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $11.75

    Equipment

    • 6-quart Slow Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 1 Onions, chopped
    • 3 stalks Celery, sliced
    • 8 oz Carrots, sliced into rounds
    • 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
    • 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
    • 2 14-oz cans Diced Tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
    • 4 cups Beef Broth
    • 1/2 cup Pearl Barley
    • 1 lb Beef Stew Meat (should come sliced into cubes; see note)
    • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
    • 2 Bay Leaves
    • 1 Tbsp Parsley, curly or flat-leaf, chopped
    • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
    • Baguette (optional, for serving)

    Instructions

    • Optional Browning (this step improves flavor and helps the beef and helps it to stay tender, but can be skipped in a pinch): Heat 2 Tbsp cooking oil (not in ingredients list) in a large skillet or saute pan over medium meat. Pat the beef dry and season it lightly with some salt and pepper. Add the beef to the skillet and cook on all sides until brown. It does not need to be cooked through since it will finish cooking in the slow cooker.
    • Combine onions, celery, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes (including liquid), broth, barley, beef stew meat, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves in the bowl of a slow cooker. (See below for freezer instructions.)
    • Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. (Note: I don’t recommend cooking this on high because many slow cookers so hot on the high setting that they can boil, leading to tougher, drier pieces of meat.)
    • Discard bay leaves.
    • Stir in parsley and lemon juice.
    • Taste soup and season with some salt and pepper if needed.
    • Serve with warm baguette slices.

    Notes

    In testing we used large cubes of beef stew meat (2 to 3 inches). The meat will shrink considerably as it cooks. If using smaller cubes of beef, reduce cook time by 1 hour.
    If you’re going to freeze this recipe, combine all ingredients listed above except broth, parsley, and lemon juice in a freezer-safe bag or container. (Leaving the broth out of the meal when you freeze it is optional, but saves space in the freezer.)
    Attach the label below to the top of the freezer meal so the instructions are right at your fingertips.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1111mg | Potassium: 993mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 9840IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Filed Under: Beef, Fall, Family-Friendly, Feed a Crowd, Freezer-Friendly, Healthyish, Low Carb, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Winter

    About Jess

    Hi, I'm Jess, an amateur cook turned professional recipe developer, food stylist, and photographer specializing in quick and easy meals that make weeknights a bit more fun. I love sharing my kitchen and my journey as a chef with other home cooks on this blog. Learn more about me here.

    Previous Post: « Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake
    Next Post: Slow Cooker Taco Meat »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David Folstad

      October 28, 2019 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      Photos 5 stars, few ingredients always makes me happy, ten minutes prep ! Wow. Your posts are so organized! Thank you

      Reply
      • Jess

        October 28, 2019 at 2:21 pm

        Thanks so much, David! Always good to hear from you! I’ve been working on getting a bit more organized – both on and off the pages of the blog. 😉

        Reply
    2. Doug Gregg

      October 30, 2019 at 7:04 pm

      First kinda snow of the season and this is on the grocery list for tomorrow! The Mississippi Pot Roast was OUTSTANDING! It is definitely a keeper … unfortunately it was gone before it made it to the freezer. I used the Idoian brand instant mashed potatoes and they worked very well!

      Keep up the GREAT work!

      Reply
    3. Brian

      February 14, 2021 at 9:24 pm

      2 stars
      Way too tomato-y. This is basically tomato soup with beef and barley. Next time I will reduce the canned tomatoes by half, and no paste.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        February 18, 2021 at 7:09 am

        Brian – you’re totally right – there is definitely plenty of tomato flavor in this soup, but that’s how we seem to like it. Personal preference to be sure! Thanks for your note.

        Reply

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    Hi there! We're Jess and Frank. We live in Kansas City with our three daughters. Our recipes are made with busy families in mind. We lived in Thailand which inspired us to cook flavorful, fun meals at home and we know you can too. We believe in your inner cook! More...

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