Beef and Barley Soup (Stovetop and Slow Cooker)

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Beef and Barley Soup (Stovetop and Slow Cooker)

A hearty, centuries old classic that's easy to make with simple ingredients but full of rich flavors, tender beef and chewy barley.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Scottish

Keyword: Barley, Beef, Slow cooker, Soup, Stovetop

Servings: servings

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Jenna

Equipment

1 Dutch oven or other large pot (for stovetop version)
1 slow cooker (for slow cooker version)
Butcher's twine, optional

Ingredients

1 ½-2 lbs beef, cubed (any cheap cut; stewing beef or chuck roast are both great because it's going to cook slowly)
1 ½ tsp salt, divided, or more to taste
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp all purpose flour, optional (see Note 1)
2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
1 large onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
3-4 medium carrots, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2-3 large celery stalks diced (about 1 ½ cups)
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup red wine, optional (see Note 2)
6 cups beef broth or stock
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme optionally tied with butcher’s twine (or 1 ½ tsp dried)
2 dry bay leaves
1 ½ tsp Maggi sauce (if you don’t have it, you can substitute with 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce)
¾ cup pearl barley (or pot barley; see Note 3), rinsed
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

Season the beef on all sides with 1 tsp each of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and optionally with 2 tbsp of all purpose flour (see Note 1); you can cut the beef into cubes of your preferred size but smaller pieces will cook faster
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of avocado oil
Sear the beef on each side until browned then remove and set aside - sear in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot or it will steam instead of searing
Reduce heat to medium low, add the remaining tbsp of avocado oil, then add the onion, carrots and celery and season with a pinch of salt
Stir and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another min
Add the red wine and scrape to deglaze the pot then simmer until reduced almost completely (or use an extra ½ cup of stock; see Note 2)
Add the thyme, bay leaves and the remaining tsp of freshly cracked black pepper (you can tie the thyme with butcher's twine to make removing the sprigs easier later)
Pour in the beef broth and Maggi sauce and stir
Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer; simmer for 2-3 hours or until beef is tender (total cooking time will depend on the size of the beef pieces)
Add the barley and stir, then cover and cook for another 35-45 minutes or until barley is cooked through and beef is very tender; uncover during the last 15 minutes (see Note 3)
Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, season with ½ tsp salt or to taste and serve topped with fresh parsley

Slow Cooker Instructions

Season the beef on all sides with 1 tsp each of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and optionally with 2 tbsp of all purpose flour (see Note 1); you can cut the beef into cubes of your preferred size but smaller pieces will cook faster
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of avocado oil
Sear the beef on each side until browned then remove and set aside - sear in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot or it will steam instead of searing
Transfer seared beef and all ingredients except the barley to the slow cooker (you can skip searing the beef and just throw everything in the slow cooker but searing the beef adds flavor to the soup)
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, stirring in the barley during the last hour and a half of cooking
Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, season with ½ tsp salt or to taste and serve topped with fresh parsley

Video

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Notes

Note 1: Coating the beef with flour will result in a thicker soup but is completely optional. Skip the flour for a thinner, brothier soup and use it for a thicker, stewier soup.

Note 2: Using red wine to deglaze adds flavor and depth to the soup but is completely optional. If you prefer not to use wine, just deglaze the pot with an extra ½ cup of beef stock.

Note 3: You can use either pearl barley or pot barley in this recipe depending what you prefer or have on hand. Keep in mind that pearl barley will cook faster than pot barley so you may need to increase the cooking time slightly if you're using pot barley.

Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate.

Nutrition