Beef and Barley Soup Recipe - Happy Hooligans (2024)

Last updated on November 8, 2019

This easybeef and barley souprecipe can be made on the stove or in the slow-cooker. Made with ground beef, pearl barley and a variety of healthy vegetables, it’s hearty and delicious soup, perfect for lunch or dinner on a cold, winter day.

We ALL love homemade soup at our house and this beef and barley soup is one of my absolute favourites. It’s so easy to make, and it’s hearty and delicious and chock full of flavour.

I can always count on it to satisfy the whole family.

My husband works outdoors in winter, and my boys are usually outside, playing pick-up hockey on our backyard rink, so when they all come home for dinner, they’re hungry and they’re cold.

A steaming bowl of homemade soup always goes over well. Served with my homemade Oatmeal Bread or a batch of homemade dinner rolls, this hearty soup fills the belly and warms the soul.

We have several soups that we love best as a family, and this beef and barley recipe is up there at the top of our list.

I make this soup on the stovetop, but it’s also a soup that you can make in the slow-cooker as well.

Beef and Barley Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef (cooked and drained)
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 3 cans beef broth (I usually just fill up my 28 oz can from the tomatoes and use the appropriate amount of bouillon)
• 1 large (or 2 smallish) onions
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 3 celery stalks
• 4 med carrots (I used baby carrots when writing this post because I was out of large ones)
• 8 tbsp pearl barley
• 1/2 tsp thyme (you can substitute with basil if you’d rather)
• (1/4 cup red wine – optional)
• salt and pepper to taste.
• 1 bay leaf (I never have one, so don’t sweat it if you don’t either)

To make your Beef and Barley Soup:

Brown ground beef in a pan over medium heat and drain fat when it’s finished cooking.

While your beef is cooking, chop your vegetables into bite-sized chunks.

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Put the cooked ground beef and the rest of the ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 2 hours.

To reduce cooking time, you can saute your vegetables first:

I often saute my vegetables first and deglaze with a bit of red wine before combining all of the ingredients in the pot. It’s not necessary. It’s just something I like to do to reduce the overall cooking time sometimes. If you’re sautéing first, you’ll only need to simmer your soup for about an hour total.

I’ve actually never really timed it to know if it’s an hour, but you’ll know when it’s done when your barley has puffed up and your vegetables are tender.

How to make beef and barley soup in a slow-cooker:

If you’re making it in the slow cooker, just cook and drain your beef, and throw all of the ingredients except the barley into your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding the barley in the last hour of cooking.

Doesn’t that look just delicious?

Serve this soup with homemade rolls, a crusty loaf or a slice of hearty, homemade bread, and it makes a perfect lunch or dinner for a fall or winter day.

More Delicious Homemade Soups:

• Best Homemade Tomato Soup
• Easy Lentil Soup with Potatoes, Bacon and Vegetables
• Zuppa Toscana – An Olive Garden Soup Knock Off
• Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa Soup
• Butternut Squash and Potato Soup

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