Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

3.82 from 60 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

Cook Time7

Total Time7 10

Course: Main Dish

Keyword: beef recipe, beef soup, easy freezer meal, easy soup, freezer friendly, healthy recipe, slow cooker soups, slow-cooker

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $11.75

Equipment

Knife
Cutting Board
6-quart Slow Cooker

Ingredients

1 Onions, chopped
3 stalks Celery, sliced
8 ounces Carrots, sliced into rounds
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 14-ounce can Diced Tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
6 cups Beef Broth
1/3 cup Pearl Barley
1 pound Beef Stew Meat (should come sliced into cubes; see note)
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Parsley, curly or flat-leaf, chopped
1 teaspoon 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 Tablespoons 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.

Nutrition