Beef and Barley Soup Recipe (Traditional Comfort Food Classic)

This easy-to-make traditional beef and barley soup recipe of beef and vegetables simmered in a flavorful broth is jam-packed with flavor. During the winter months, we make this as often as possible.

I’ve always said that soup is my first love. Starting in the fall and through spring, I am constantly making soups. If you share the same passion for soup, check out my Mulligatawny or Minestrone.

Beef and Barley Soup

Beef and barley soup is a fantastic hearty soup jam-packed with meat, root veggies, and barley. It is a derivative of scotch broth, which is classically made with lamb and, in some cases, is all vegetarian instead of beef. Beef and barley have been around since the 18th century and essentially were created based on product availability, like many recipes from that era.

Like my recipe, it can become a kitchen sink soup since we have the availability of just about every single vegetable around year-round. Like most recipes from the 15th through the 19th century, an abundance of ingredients was often hard to come by, so you used what you had. To me, these have produced the most delicious recipes throughout the history of our world; that’s why they are still made today.

While I believe most classic recipes are excellent in their natural state, opportunities sometimes become available without altering the flavor. When it comes to a soup like this that only uses root vegetables, then using my school of thought, I believe adding a few more of these tubular veggies would be ok.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beef – I like to use chuck roast, but other cuts like New York strip roast, brisket, or rib roast work well. In addition, any good beef stew-style meat is good to use.
• Pork – Pork belly, thick cut or regular cut bacon, will work. While this is optional, it adds much more flavor to the soup.
• Barley – Regular pearl barley is used, although any variety will work in this recipe.
• Onions – White, yellow, or sweet onions are good to use. In addition, I also used leeks. Lastly, fresh garlic is used to add a punch of flavor.
• Carrots – Peeled or rinsed and unpeeled carrots are a staple ingredient. You can also use baby carrots or even tri-colored carrots.
• Celery – A normal part of the mirepoix soup base and a necessity in making beef and barley soup.
• Root Vegetables – I used parsnips and turnips in this soup. However, these ingredients are a bit subjective, as you can also add root veggies like potatoes, celeriac root, rutabaga, or daikon. Feel free to get creative.
• Liquid – beef stock is best, although chicken stock, brodo, water, or even vegetable stock will work.
• Oil – If you are not using bacon, olive oil or another good neutral-flavored oil like avocado is excellent.
• Herbs – I added fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme to this soup. The dry versions can also be used in a 2-to-1 fresh-to-dry ratio amount.

How to Make Beef and Barley Soup

Cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp and brown and the fat is rendered. This takes about 6 to 8 minutes. Set the lardons aside, leaving the fat in the pot.

Next, add the cubed beef and cook until lightly browned and cooked throughout, over medium-high heat, then set it aside. It’s good to try and get some Maillard on the beef for more flavor in the soup.

Pour in a bit of olive oil if there is not enough rendered meat fat in the pot, and completely caramelize the onions and leeks until well browned while occasionally stirring over low to medium heat, which takes about 30-35 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Then, add in the cooked beef, bacon, prepared root vegetables, bay leaves, and beef stock. Cook on low heat for 60 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. If you are using dry herbs, this is when you will add them in.

If you want to serve this soup immediately and plan on eating a reasonable amount, add the barley and cook for 30-35 minutes or until the barley is cooked and tender. The barley will start to suck up the stock the longer it sits uneaten.

However, I recommend cooking the barley separately if you plan to eat the soup later or serve it in individual portions. Once cooked, cool it, store it, and serve a portion in a bowl along with the soup for perfectly cooked barley every single time.

Finish the soup with fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Serve the soup with an optional garnish of minced fresh parsley.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: Soup always tastes better with time. It can be eaten as soon as it’s done or be made 2-3 days ahead.

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small saucepot and cook over low heat until hot. When storing, the barley will absorb more liquid, so you must add more liquid to help thin it out when reheating.

chef notes + tips

• Washing the barley is optional, and I prefer not to.
• You do not have to use fresh herbs at the end; however, if you use dry herbs, add them to the beef stock since it is best to start with dry and finish with fresh.

More Soup Recipes

• Ham and Bean Soup
• Ribolita
• Chicken and Wild Rice
• Wedding Soup
• Pozole

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Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

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5 from 54 votes

This easy-to-make traditional beef and barley soup recipe of beef and vegetables simmered in a flavorful broth is jam-packed with flavor.

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 8 ounces roughly chopped bacon
• 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, optional
• 2 medium-sized peeled small diced yellow onions
• 3 thinly sliced leeks, white part only
• 4 finely minced garlic cloves
• 3 peeled medium-diced carrots
• 3 medium diced celery stalks
• 1 peeled medium diced parsnip
• 1 peeled medium diced turnip
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 cups beef stock
• 2 cups pearl barley
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• coarse salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium heat, add in the bacon and cook until crisp and brown, which takes about 8-10 minutes.
• Remove the bacon lardons and set aside. Add the cubed beef into the pot, turn the heat up slightly to medium-high, and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, which takes about 10 minutes.
• Take the beef out and set it to the side.
• If there is not enough rendered bacon or meat fat in the pot, then add in the optional olive oil and over low heat, caramelize the onions and leeks for 30-35 minutes or until they are well browned. Stir occasionally.
• Add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes before adding back in the beef, bacon, carrots, celery, parsnips, turnips, bay leaves, and beef stock and cook over low to medium heat for 60 minutes or until the vegetables and beef are tender.
• Pour in the barley, give it a stir, and cook for 30-35 minutes over low to medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until the barley is cooked.
• Finish with herbs, salt, and pepper, and serve.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Soup always tastes better with time. It can be eaten as soon as it’s done or be made 2-3 days ahead.

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small saucepot and cook over low heat until hot. The barley will absorb more liquid when storing, so you must add more liquid to help thin it out when reheating.

Washing the barley is optional, and I prefer not to.

You do not have to use fresh herbs at the end; however, if you use dry herbs, add them to the beef stock since it is best to start with dry and finish with fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 28gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 671mgPotassium: 1031mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3076IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 4mg

Course: Soup

Cuisine: irish, scottish

Author: Chef Billy Parisi