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    Home » Recipes » Recipe

    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

    Published: Oct 23, 2020 by Fox Valley Foodie · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

    This hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is loaded with tender cubed beef, diced vegetables, and a luxurious broth that you will be eagerly sopping up with your favorite bread!

    Slow cooker recipes like this Beef and Barley Soup have been my savior the past few weeks as I pretend to know how to remodel our new home. This recipe is perfect for simmering away on your countertop all afternoon while you are distracted by more important activities.

    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

    How to Make Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

    This Beef and Barley Soup is a really flexible recipe. It can be ready in about 5 hours if cooked on high or let it simmer for 8-10 hours on low. Quite honestly, you could cook it longer too if needed, the worst that will happen is the beef will become fall-apart tender.

    Beef and Barley Soup close up with sprig of thyme.

    I make my Beef and Barley Soup without tomatoes, but instead, I add tomato paste to add richness to the broth. You can certainly add stewed or diced tomatoes if you wish. Some people even make this soup with mushrooms or potatoes.

    If you aren't the slow cooker type, this Beef and Barley Soup can be made on the stovetop as well. I would use a Dutch Oven to brown the chuck roast, remove it from the pot, then saute the vegetables and add everything back into the pot. Like the slow cooker recipe, I would hold off adding the barley until the final hour of cooking. Making Beef and Barley Soup in the slow cooker is easier, but following the directions I listed for the stovetop will develop additional flavor. The choice is yours!

    Cooking Tips

    Though it is called a soup, its beefiness makes it eat more like a stew. The best beef to use in this soup is chuck roast. Chuck roast is not only fairly inexpensive to purchase, but the long cooking time transforms this particularly tough cut into melt-in-your-mouth tender morsels, while the fat renders out to create an exceptionally luxurious sauce!

    If you need a substitute for your chuck roast, look for generically labeled "stew meat" at the store. Otherwise, brisket or any other tough beef cut will suffice. Leaner cuts such as a round roast will work too, but the minimal fat they provide will result in slightly less flavor in your soup.

    For me, crockpot recipes are supposed to be simple affairs. However, if you want to squeeze every last ounce of flavor out of this meal, you can brown the meat prior to adding it to the slow cooker. As I explained in my tutorial to brown ground beef properly, the process which turns the meat brown is also adding flavor.

    Crock Pot Beef and Barley Soup in white bowl viewed close up.

    Can this be made on the stovetop?

    Although this is a slow cooker recipe, it can easily be converted to make in a pot on the stovetop. I recommend using a large pot, and browning the meat, then removing it from the pot while you saute the onions, carrots, and garlic. At this point, all of the ingredients can be added to the pot and simmered until the beef is tender. This should take less than two hours.

    Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

    Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

    This hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is loaded with tender cubed beef, diced vegetables, and a luxurious broth your whole family will love!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours
    Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 350kcal
    Author: Fox Valley Foodie

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs Chuck roast (cut into 1" cubes)
    • ¾ cup Barley
    • 8 cups Beef broth
    • 3 Carrots (diced)
    • 1 Onion (diced)
    • 2 Celery (diced)
    • 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
    • 3 tablespoons Tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
    • 2 sprigs Thyme
    • 2 Bay leaves
    • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to 6 quart slow cooker, except barley.
    • Let cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours, then add barley and cook for 1 hour longer. Individual slow cooker times can vary, it is best to add barley as beef is becoming tender.
    • Taste for salt and adjust as needed. 
    • Ladle soup into bowls and serve with buns for dipping, if desired.

    Notes

    I recommend a [easyazon_link identifier="B003HF6PUO" locale="US" tag="foxvalfoo-20"]six-quart slow cooker[/easyazon_link] for this recipe. Five-quart also works, but will be very full.
     
    IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE you will love my Beer Braised Short Ribs recipe too!

    Nutritional Information

    Calories: 350kcal
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @FoxValleyFoodie or tag #foxvalleyfoodie!

    If you enjoyed my Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandra Dennnison

      February 26, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      I love beef and barley soup but have never made it.This recipe sounds delicious but what kind of barley do I buy?Ty

      Reply
    2. Kathleen Mitchell Gordon

      February 26, 2022 at 6:27 am

      I am going to make this tonight. Looks fabulous

      Reply
    3. Erin

      October 31, 2020 at 9:39 am

      Just turned the crock pot on and looking forward to it for dinner tonight! After adding the barley, it says to cook for an additional hour. Is that one hour on low or 30min on high?

      Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Sharon Seiber

      October 23, 2020 at 3:38 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing is better than beef and barley soup!! Always yummy. Always!

      Reply
    5. Jeanie

      October 08, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Just put this in the slow cooker for supper. Can't wait to try it!

      Reply
    6. Lindsay

      November 26, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this tonight and my entire family loved it!! My 5, 8 and 37 year old boys all agreed, this is a make again for sure 😊 thank you for the delicious and easy recipe!!

      Reply
    7. Barb

      November 20, 2017 at 1:22 pm

      5 stars
      This was SO good! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    8. Ben Myhre

      November 16, 2017 at 5:46 am

      One thing I like about slow cooker meals is that they make your house smell good all day long!

      Reply
      • Fox Valley Foodie

        November 16, 2017 at 9:38 am

        I completely agree!

        Reply
        • Lisa

          November 06, 2022 at 3:40 am

          5 stars
          This recipe is a keeper, delicious !!!

          Reply
      • Dee

        May 08, 2021 at 11:06 am

        Soup was delicious. So glad to find recipes that start from scratch.

        Reply

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