Beef Barley Soup
November 2, 2017
6 Comments
Spoon-tender beef barley soup — like your grandma used to make. 🙂 
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This was my favorite soup growing up. My Nana (my mom’s mom)  used to make a rendition of this soup when we would visit her for Sunday dinner. This soup was (at my request) always the appetizer. Years later, my  mom made a slightly modified version for us. The version below is my own modifications of my mom’s version — I added the mushrooms and shredded potatoes.
I think the part of this soup I love the most is the barley. It has such a great texture that’s so different than the usual noodle textures found in most soups. It can be bit hard to find — be sure to check the bulk section of your grocery store. People have been eating barley for over 10,000 years; lets keep that tradition going 🙂
And the beef is so tender! I was able to find a chuck roast (on sale, even!) already cut into chunks for this recipe. I wanted to the make the chunks a bit more bite-size, so once they were cooked and tender, I pulled the big chunks out of the soup and shredded them by hand. You also might be able to shred them in the pot using a fork — if you try that method let me know how it goes!
Although I live too far from my mom to continue the Sunday dinner tradition, I continue making this soup for my family. The version of the recipe below has been distilled through three generations — enjoy!
Beef Barley Soup
Ingredients
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1.5-2 lb beef chuck roast cut into chunks or stew beef
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salt & pepper
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4 tablespoons oil divided
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1 cup diced celery
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1 cup diced onion
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2 cups diced carrots ~1 lb
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2 cups diced mushrooms 8-10 oz by weight
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10 cups beef broth*
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2 large potatoes diced or shredded (~1/2 lb)
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1 cup barley
Instructions
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Salt and pepper beef on all sides
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Heat 2 tablespoons oil on med-high heat in soup pot or dutch oven.
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Sear meat on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
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Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot.
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Add celery, onion, carrots, mushrooms and cook until golden brown and soft, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.
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Add meat and broth to pot, bring to boil, and simmer on low covered, until beef is fork tender, about 2 hours.
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Shred beef into bite-size pieces. I prefer to remove the beef and shred it on a plate. Return beef to pot.
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Add potatoes to pot and continue simmering, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
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Add barley to pot and simmer, covered, until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes.
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Enjoy 🙂
Recipe Notes
*I used 10 cups water and 4 tablespoons Better then Bullion Beef Base
Adela
This looks delish! Thanks for sharing 😉
Karen
Thanks Adela!
Sheila
This is interesting and looks really good. Luckily, I have all the ingredients available so, I am making this tonight. Thank you for saving me the hassle of thinking what to prepare for dinner. Wish me luck.
Karen
Hi Sheila, it really is a tasty soup — I hope you enjoy it. Good luck!
Wilkins
That looks so good! I’m making this tomorrow! Bet my family will enjoy it.
Karen
Thanks Wilkins! I hope you and your family enjoy the recipe 🙂