Beef and Barley soup is perfect to make as the weather cools and you’re craving something hearty yet comforting and cozy. This beef barley soup is not only delicious but it’s also made with a bone-in roast, which creates a bone broth rich in collagen as it cooks!
Watch the How to Make Beef Barley Soup video
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Table of Contents
- This Soup Has It All
- Ingredients
- How to Make Beef Barley Soup
- How to Store
- Serving Ideas
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Where to Buy A Bone-In Chuck Roast
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- More Kitchen Pioneer Videos
- How to Make Beef and Barley Soup Recipe
- Shop for My Favorite Items
This Soup Has It All
This vegetable beef barley soup has it all! Plenty of healthy veggies, succulent bits of beef, and a nutrient-rich broth. It works perfectly for lunch or dinner and you can even make it ahead to make weeknight meals easier. Enjoy it with a slice or skillet cornbread or whole wheat biscuits!
Looking to explore making bone broth? Try my Rich and Gelatinous Beef Bone Broth, a Roast Chicken Bone Broth, or this Super Mineral Broth Recipe! They’re all easy to make and healthy for sipping or using in recipes.
Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.
Here’s what you need to make beef and barley soup:
- Beef: Use a 7 Bone-in roast which is a center cut chuck roast or another chuck roast with a bone. Using a roast with a bone makes a more flavorful and nutritious broth.
- Butter: For browning the meat in the pan before cooking.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or Wondra flour to coat the beef before browning it in the pan.
- Italian seasoning: I love this seasoning blend which usually contains basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. However, you can use another seasoning if you prefer.
- Vegetables: Chopped onions, carrots, and celery add flavor and nutrients to make this into a hearty vegetable beef and barley soup.
- Tomatoes: Use canned chopped tomatoes or you can substitute tomato paste. Adding tomatoes adds more depth of flavor to your broth.
- Wine: Adding a bit of port or red wine to the broth creates a richer, more flavorful broth.
- Pearled barley: We are using pearled barley to make barley soup. It is partially processed but still provides tons of nutrients.
How to Make Beef Barley Soup
Step 1 – Combine the flour, salt, both types of pepper, and the seasoning blend. Dredge the meat in the flour mixture.
Step 2 – Melt the butter in your large soup pot and then brown the meat on both sides.
Step 3 – Add the onions, carrots, celery, and port to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for a few minutes.
Step 4 – Add the water and tomatoes to the pot and return the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook covered for an hour.
Step 5 – Add the barley and stir it into the soup. Cook for another hour.
Step 6 – Remove the meat, shred it into pieces, and return it to the pot. Check the seasoning and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve it with homemade rolls or biscuits.
How to Store
Store leftovers in a well-sealed covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to three months. For smaller households, you can freeze it in individual or smaller portions so you can pull out just the amount you need.
Reheat it in a pot on the stove until it’s heated through. The soup may thicken as it sits so you may need to add a bit of water as it cooks. If the soup is frozen, thaw it out in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Ideas
This soup is basically a meal in a whole bowl! I like to keep things simple and serve it bread, a simple salad, or a sandwich for a heartier meal. Here are some ideas:
- Bread: Any type works so consider making this skillet biscuit bread, sourdough bread, slice and bake crackers, or sourdough crackers.
- Add a simple salad with green goddess dressing or other homemade salad dressings.
- Use my homemade whole wheat sandwich bread to make your favorite simple sandwich for soups.
Expert Tips
- This is a very forgiving recipe, so do not worry about measuring exactly one cup of each of the vegetables listed. They are only approximations.
- Use a 7 bone-in beef roast. This will give your beef barley soup the most flavor and also add collagen to the broth.
- If you can’t find barley or need a gluten-free option you can substitute it with brown rice. Just keep in mind the rice will cook in less time.
- Feel free to add more veggies or swap out the seasonings for those you enjoy or have on hand!
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using a bone-in roast. I especially like to use a “7 Bone-in” Roast, which is the center cut of a chuck roast with a bone that is shaped like the number “7”. I like to use it because the bone is a good size (sometimes it’s broken into 2 bones) and it provides some nice collagen for the soup. If you can’t find a 7 Bone-in roast, any bone-in chuck roast will do.
No! It’s best to cook the barley in the broth with the beef and veggies to infuse it with flavor.
Where to Buy A Bone-In Chuck Roast
I’d like to introduce you to Shirttail Creek Farm that’s located in Brenham, Texas. They offer a wide range of grass-fed and finished beef, pastured pork, chicken, and eggs, and lots more through their online store.
In addition to Bone-In Chuck Roasts, you can find lots of nutritious meats and products to help you make the most healthy and gelatinous beef bone broth:
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How to Make Beef and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 two-pound 7 Bone-in roast (center cut chuck roast) or other chuck roast with bone-in
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour or Wondra flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or other seasoning of choice
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup Onions, chopped approximately 2 medium-sized
- 1 cup Carrots, chopped approximately 3-4 depending on size
- 1 cup Celery, chopped approximately 2 stalks
- 1 15 ounce can Tomatoes, chopped or substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup Port or red wine
- 8 cups Water
- ½ cup Pearled barley
Instructions
- Place butter into a heavy bottom soup pot and turn heat to medium.
- Meanwhile, mix flour, salt, both peppers, and seasoning with flour. Dredge meat in flour mixture.
- Once the butter has melted and is beginning to foam, add meat. Brown on both sides.
- Once meat is browned, add onions, carrots, celery and port. Bring to a boil and boil for a few minutes.
- Add water and tomatoes. Return to boil and then turn to low and cover. Allow to simmer on low for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, remove lid and add barley. Stir to incorporate. Return lid and allow to simmer for 1 more hour.
- After 1 hour, remove meat and shred. Return shredded meat to soup pot. Stir to incorporate. Check for seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Soup is ready to serve. Ladle into bowls and serve with homemade rolls or biscuits. Leftovers, well sealed in a covered container and stored in the refrigerator, will last for 3-4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Shop for My Favorite Items
Favorite Barely Soup Making Supplies
- Arrowhead Mills, Pearled Barley, Organic, 28 oz
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Pearled Barley, 28 oz. Bag (Pack of 6) If you want to buy in bulk, this is a great bargain.
- Wondra All Purpose Quick-Mixing Sauce ‘N Gravy Flour 13.5 oz (Pack of 2)
- Duralex Made In France Lys Stackable 10-Piece Bowl Set
- Staub Round Cocotte Oven, 4 quart, Cherry
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- Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
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- Whisk
- Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
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- Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
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In the ingredients list, the roast appears as a 12 pound roast! Can you please clarify?
Hi Dana,
Thanks for your comment. The ingredient list reads “1 2 pound 7 Bone-in roast (center cut chuck roast) or other chuck roast with bone-in”, and I can see how that looks like 12 pound instead of one two pound.
I updated the recipe to say: “1 two pound 7 Bone-in roast (center cut chuck roast) or other chuck roast with bone-in”
Thanks again for helping me to clarify the recipe and for joining me on our traditional foods journey!
Love and God bless,
Mary