Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is hearty, protein-packed, and delicious. Just pop it in your crockpot in the morning, let it simmer all day, and enjoy it in the evening.
Slow Cooker Beef And Barley Soup
Beef Stew has always been one of my favorite winter comfort foods. The moment it gets chilly, I pull out the crockpot for a warm, hearty meal. While I don’t always have time for traditional beef stew, this slow cooker beef and barley soup captures all those cozy flavors—and it’s just as delicious!
This stew doesn’t disappoint; it’s rich, hearty, and packed with amazing flavor. Perfect for cold weather, it might even have you hoping for a chilly day just to make it again!
Ingredients
- Beef Chuck Roast: Pat dry and sear before adding for maximum flavor.
- Olive Oil: Helps sear the beef and sauté veggies, adding depth.
- Mirepoix: Save time and buy these veggies pre-chopped in the produce section.
- Beef Stock/Broth: Using reduced-sodium lets you control the salt level better.
- Tomato Paste: Adds a slight tanginess and thickness to the broth.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Peel and cut into small cubes for faster cooking.
- Beef Bouillon Cubes: Crumble to dissolve evenly in the stew.
- Worcestershire Sauce: A little goes a long way, so measure carefully.
- Herbs and bay leaf: Fresh or dried works! Remove bay leaf after cooking.
- Pearl Barley: No need to cook before hand, it cooks in the slow cooker.
- Sugar: Balances acidity from the tomatoes in this slow cooker beef and barley soup.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Use undrained to get extra flavor from the juices.
How To Make Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
- Prepare Beef: Cut, season, and brown beef, then add to the slow cooker.
- Cook Veggies: Cook veggies; add stock, then add to the slow cooker.
- Add Ingredients: Add potatoes, tomato paste, bouillon, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, barley, sugar, herbs, tomatoes, and remaining stock to crockpot. Stir.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours.
- Serve: Remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning, and enjoy.
Cooking Tips
- Use a fatty chuck roast: More fat means more flavor; lean types like sirloin or round will be tougher and drier.
- Brown the beef: Browning improves flavor, tenderness, and look—even though it’s not required, it’s recommended.
- Choose good fire-roasted tomatoes: Good brands, like Muir Glen®, add more flavor than typical canned tomatoes.
- Use beef stock: Stock has a richer flavor than broth.
- Cook on low: For the best flavor and tender meat, cook on low instead of high.
Storage
Leftovers?
Refrigerate: Put the slow cooker beef and barley soup in a container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: For longer storage, pour the soup into freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room to expand. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Warm Up: Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight, then warm it up on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring now and then until hot.
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Easy Beef and Barley Soup
Beef and Barley Soup: hearty, protein-packed, and deliciously easy. Toss it in the slow cooker, let it simmer all day, and enjoy it in the evening!
Equipment
- Large pan or large pot
- Crock-Pot
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8-1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef stock or broth, divided, see note 1
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 beef bouillon cubes see note 2
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup pearl barley
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Fresh chopped parsley optional
- Hearty buttered bread optional
Instructions
- Cube the beef and pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper all the sides.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan or pot over medium-high heat, and once shimmering, add beef cubes in an even layer (you can do this in batches to not overcrowd the meat). Sear for about 15–20 seconds per side (about 1 minute total) and transfer beef to a large slow cooker.
- Turn heat down to medium-low and add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add carrots and celery and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally for 5–8 minutes.
- Turn heat to high, add 1-1/2 cups of beef stock (or red wine), and scrape any browned bits up from the pan. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes, then pour the veggie mixture into the crockpot.
- While the veggies are simmering, you can add everything else to the crockpot: tomato paste, chopped potatoes, crumbled beef bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaves, uncooked pearl barley, sugar, dried basil, dried oregano, undrained fire-roasted tomatoes, and the rest of the beef stock.
- Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or on high for 4–5 hours.
- Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. It will vary greatly depending on the beef stock and bouillon cubes you use; I generally add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Enjoy with fresh parsley (optional) and a hearty loaf of bread!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If you like to cook with wine, you can swap out 1 1/2 cups of red wine for that amount of beef stock in step 4. The remaining 7 cups of beef stock will be added in step 5.
Note 2: Here are the beef bouillon cubes I use. Also, if you’re worried about sodium/salt from the cubes and stock, you can omit the cubes (or add, crumbled in small amounts, later to taste).
Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, leaving a bit of room at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 1299mg | Potassium: 1604mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3212IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lovely! I used red wine…such wonderful flavor!
Delish! I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed! Thanks! 🙂
If I want to substitute the barley for something like orzo or ditalini, at what point should it be added?
This recipe sounds delicious, However, can you make this with white rice instead of barley? My family is NOT a fan of barley.
Sorry white rice will cook differently in the slow cooker (unevenly and quicker)
What size crock pot is considered large? I want to try making this in an instant pot on the slow cooker setting since I don’t have a crock pot and I’m unsure on if it will be big enough. Thanks! This looks delicious!
6 quart! 🙂
Just checking: a total of 15.5 cups of stock?
Hmm not sure where you’re seeing that; it’s 7 cups!
Would this soup freeze well?
Barley is very helpful to our body. I salute you! You create a healthy food that fits to all ages. Everyone should try to cook this at home. They will love it. Promise!
Thanks Arthur!
Thanks for the delicious recipes.
I don’t use bouillon cubes. There is far too much sodium chloride in them. I much prefer Better Than Bouillon that comes in a jar and is found in most grocery stores. It is found with salt or low salt. It also comes in a myriad of flavors, i.e. chicken, beef, vegetable, etc. I can control how much I use better than with the cubes.
As one of your ingredients you list “2 beef boullion cubes*” Further down the list there is 7 cups of beef stock. What does the asterisk indicate? Thanks. We always enjoy your recipes and commentary. Regards.
Hey John! Thank you so much for pointing that out; definitely an oversight on my part and I appreciate your help 🙂 I’ve updated the recipe to have a link showing the cubes I use and a note about sodium content. Thanks!