Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
This slow cooker beef and barley soup is hearty and delicious! Super easy to throw together, it’s perfect for a cold winter’s night.
By now I hope you know that my recipe posting philosophy is pretty simple: I only post recipes that are the best of the best.
Be assured that for every recipe that makes it here, there are at least five or six I’ve made that just don’t make the cut.
Brian has this look he gives me when we are eating dinner and I know that he knows that I need to know that the recipe probably isn’t worthy of the blog and most definitely should not go into our personal meal rotation (but bless his heart, that man eats whatever I put in front of him, good or bad).
Usually The Look is accompanied by whining children and/or gagging. I’m nothing if not adept at picking up on subtle cues like that.
But even with my posting philosophy firmly in place, I still wondered if I should share this one.
Don’t worry, it didn’t induce The Look or gagging (far from it). It’s just…well…not very exciting. Beef and barley. In the slow cooker. It kind of makes me sleepy just thinking about it.
However, this soup’s homey, comforting flavors with basic ingredients are incredibly delicious and left me craving more. When I made it for the third time, I figured you might want it in your life, too.
Plus, the slow cooker feature means you can fix it and forget it and that is never a bad thing.
Ever since converting this fabulous Southwestern Chicken and Barley Chili to the slow cooker, I’ve fallen in love with barley even more.
It’s nutty and soft but still slightly chewy, and in this soup, the tender bits of meat and carrot (reminiscent of the amazing, tasty carrots that come out of beef stew – my favorite part!) and the rich, hearty broth bring everything together perfectly.
So yeah, this may not be the most trendy recipe on the internet but I can promise you, it isn’t because of flavor and taste. It’s just because those viral recipes have sprinkles on top and this doesn’t.
What to Serve With This
- French Bread Rolls or Buttery Cornmeal Crescents
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Sliced cheddar cheese
One Year Ago: Fudgy Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Two Years Ago: Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate
Three Years Ago: Heath Bar Cookies
Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 ½ pounds sirloin tips, flap meat or chuck roast, cubed
- Salt and pepper
- ¾ cup 1/4-inch sliced carrots, about 3-4 medium carrots peeled
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and diced
- 1 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium yellow or white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅔ cup pearled barley, not quick-cooking
Instructions
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil until rippling and hot over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the skillet in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches), cooking for 1-2 minutes, browning on all sides. Repeat with the remaining meat if needed.
- Scoop the meat into the slow cooker, leaving as much oil/liquid behind in the skillet as possible. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the carrots, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the carrots and mushrooms start to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and simmer for a minute or so. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, soy sauce and barley. Give the soup a good stir and then cover the slow cooker and cook on low 7-9 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed, before serving.
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Recipe Source: inspired by a soup recipe in America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook (I basically changed up the ingredients and converted it to a slow cooker recipe)
This remains a favorite in our home, and I’ve made it for years. Recently, I was required to do the recipe a couple of different ways, and it still came out delicious!
I have successfully cooked this recipe in my Dutch Oven on the stovetop. I followed the recipe through the cooking of the veggies, and poured the mixture along with the broth and seasonings into the Dutch oven, and cooked over medium-low heat for 2-3 hours, maintaining a slow simmer until barley is tender.
I have done the recipe by prepping again through step 2, refrigerating the cooked beef and veggies, and then assembling the next day – either in the morning for the slow cooker, or about 2-3 hours before dinner for the stovetop method. Still comes out delicious!
If I could give this ten stars I would! I’ve made this recipe at least five times in the last few months. I’m a soup junkie and have loved so many of your soups and stews but this takes the cake. I made it for myself, my family, girlfriends, church lent supper… it’s been a HUGE hit every time and I’ve shared the recipe with so many people. Sometimes I make it just to eat it every day on my lunch break, selfishly. 😉 the depth of flavor is amazing! I do use a whole 6oz can of tomato paste because I just love what that ingredient adds to the flavor. I also add celery just because why not. Can’t recommend it enough, it has replaced beef stew for me permanently! Oh and my husband hates mushrooms but I chopped them up fine and he gobbled it right up without knowing they were there! 🙂
I’ve been making this wonderful, delicious and hearty soup for years, thank you, Mel! As there are only two of us now, I only make half the recipe, but it’s still enough for dinner one night and a lunch later in the week. I use the cheapest cut of beef I can find at the grocery store, and I generally only use 1/2 or even 1/3 of amount of beef (even taking into account I have already cut the recipe in half). Still turns out very flavourful and savory. Can’t recommend enough!
Delicious! Your recipes are on continued rotation at our house, but this is the first time I’ve made this one. I have a mushroom aversion, so I loaded in more carrots (mostly so I wouldn’t have to hoard them) with great success. Thanks for another winner!
OK my soup is done and we just tried it for the first time. I did put my barley in halfway through because it was the quick cooking type. This soup is delicious. And if you can only find the quick cooking barley, it works out just fine. We will definitely be making this again. Thanks Mel for another delicious recipe.
Hi Mel – i’m making this now but I could only find quick barley – I’m thinking of adding that at the 1/2 way point . What would you suggest?
Sorry I didn’t see your question before now, Monica. I’m glad it worked out!
Comfort food at it finest. We loved this. Warm, cozy, and so easy! Thank you. I served it with fresh bread and butter.
Hi Mel, I’m trying to lower my high cholesterol and was reading about hulled barley. Yours was the first website I came to and searched for barley. Could I use hulled barley instead of the pearled in this recipe? Anything different I should do?
Hi Ray, yes, you can use hulled barley. The only change is that sometimes hulled barley needs a bit more cooking time but where this is a slow cooker recipe, it might be fine – just add time as needed.
Love, love, love this! My wonderful sister-in-law just served me some post surgery! Totally hit the spot!
Hallo, I live in SA and it’s a real cold winter. I couldn’t follow your recipe in total because of my bulbar palsy. I used ground mince instead of beef, and added a handful pasta which make it easier to swallow. Ii made mine in the crockpot and enjoyed it. Sometimes, just like you were searching for the make for 2 recipes, I was looking for meals for softer food for people with rare diseas that affects their swollowing. My apologies I couldn’t your recipe as it is, I had to replace the beef. It’s delicious and another one that I kep. Thank you for sifting the recipes to bring the best. We have to try and adjust and that we can do without writing our own. Thank you for sharing. I did not put my name on your e mail list because of the different ingredients, but will still make something when it’s nutrient to me. Hope I did not offend you.
My crockpot is not working right. Can I do this in a dutch oven on top of the stove? How long do you think it would take? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks.
Hi Denise, yes, I think that might work. Simmer on low or cook in the oven at about 300 degrees.
This soup was just perfect for a chilly Friday evening. It was excellent as written but next time – and there definitely will be a next time – I may do as another suggested and splash in some red wine. I cooked it on the stovetop this time. Thanks again Mel, for another excellent recipe!
This is an excellent recipe! Delicious! Made it stove-top, a few less mushrooms and 1/4 cup of barley with chopped potato. Easy to make, a yummy meal. Will definitely use often. Thank you!! 🙂
I made it for my family last week and we loved it! Only suggestion was that maybe a little red wine could be added?
My husband and I felt like the 1 teaspoon of dried thyme was really overpowering. Also, it was a little greasy for my taste. The neat was very tender.
We love this one! Any idea on what the time would be in the instant pot? Thanks!
If the meat was cut into small enough pieces (so the barley doesn’t overcook), I think you could try 15-18 minutes high pressure.
Made this tonight and it was excellent. Loved the addition of tomato paste and soy sauce. I made my own beef stock by roasting beef bones and veggies in the oven then putting all in my crockpot with water to cover and cooked on low for over 12 hours. Stock was amazing in your Beef Barley soup.
This was amazing! I got home today and my house smelled sooooo good!! And then dinner happened and my two girls, 6 and 3 ate two bowls each!!!! It was delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
I have a left over cooked roast. Do you think I can just throw everything into the crock pot at once?
Could definitely experiment and try – the flavor will probably be a bit different but it’s worth a try.
Make some really good beef stock and you’ll be fine. Add your cooked beef towards the end of cooking process so it doesn’t dry out.
This was so good on a chilly New England night! Another hit from Mel 🙂 I added a little red wine vinegar at the end but otherwise as written.
how is this made on the stovetop?
I made a double batch to freeze half in preparation for my baby to arrive soon. I had to make some changes since my slow cooker took a dump on me. I was short 3 cups of broth so I just used water. I added 4 or 5 small potatoes since they happened to be in the cupboard. I simmered the soup on the stove on low with the lid on for 2 hours and added the potatoes and barley for 1 more hour. It turned out PERFECT. The barley wasn’t over cooked, the broth is ridiculous. My family will love it and I think it will freeze great.
I’ve made this three times now, and love it every. time.
I am the only woman on earth who DOES NOT own an Instant Pot, so it goes in the Ol’ fashioned slow-cooker! This time I did not brown the meat, so we shall see how it goes!
Thank you for sharing yet another amazing recipe!
I love every “Mel” recipe I have tried over the years, I know that if it comes from Mel it’s going to be good. I love barley soups, especially beef and barley together. I made this and it was wonderful. A change I made was to take the tomato paste and put it in the bottom of the slow cooker on high while I cooked the meat. I added the beef broth before I put the meat in the slow cooker. I love caramelizing tomato paste with beef dishes. It just seems to deepen the tomato flavor. I followed the rest of the recipe and it was the best I had ever made. So this is another go to recipe in my recipe collection. I really have a lot of “Mel” recipes in that collection, I mean more than any other source. Thanks again.
Mmm, this was delicious! Also not a mushroom fan here so I took suggestions from other comments and subbed it for celery – it was great! Kept everything else exactly the same and made homemade rolls with it. This will definitely be made again!
Made this meatless in the Instant Pot for dinner tonight. It was ready in 15 min. Warm and hearty on this damp January night.
This recipe was delicious! I was pressed for time so I skipped the browning step and just put everything in the crock pot on high for 4 hours and it turned out great. Will definitely make this again! Thanks, Mel!
Really loved the flavors will definitely make it again. The only negative I have is it came out way too thick, needed to add more chicken and beef broth to come to a more soup consistency.
I too added two extra cups of broth. Came out perfect soup consistency.
Have you ever made this in the Instapot? I just got one and I’m still experimenting with it…wondered if you would suggest any changes to the prep above for the Pot?
oh shoot…I see you already answered that question above! NM! 🙂
We absolutely love the depth of flavors in this recipe. So glad you decided to share. Even my mushroom hating kids love it- they have no idea they’re in there! Always love adding something new to my soup collection. It was -16 here when we woke up today, and this was calling out to us to make again!
Hello!
I made a very similar soup in the pressure cooker. At first it seemed great. I put it in the fridge because we were going to have it for dinner the next night and it seems like the barley soaked up all the broth and the soup had this gummy like texture. Did this ever happen to you? Would you think its because the barley soaked up all the broth and changed the soup completely? I would like to try again, but not if the texture turns out like that agin…
Yes, it’s probably because a grain like barley will soak up excess liquid if it isn’t served right away (and will keep cooking in the warm broth as it cools).
I would love to make this in my IP. Could you tell me what you would do to cook it in the pressure cooker?
Hmmm, I haven’t tried it but, I’d guess about 12 minutes at high pressure.
This was great, I was looking for a stew/soup when it turned cold here, & as the cook I wanted easy, but if stew was the main it had to be hearty enough to satisfy my meat & potatoes hubby. He likes barley so I gave it a go. It was great! Nice flavor, hearty, warm & easy. I might try faro next time, if I can slide that by hubby.
I have a really old slow cooker which is not very big, and I think this recipe would not fit in it. Would this work cooking on the stove top in a dutch oven? Would the recipe change at all, and how about the cooking time? Thanks!!
Sure, I think that would work. You won’t need to simmer for as long – maybe simmer, covered, for 1-2 hours and see? I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. You could bake it in a covered dutch oven at 250 degrees for six hours or so and see how that goes.
I love love this recipe and I’m super picky about flavor. Even my “soup hating husband” loves it. Wondering if anyone has tried making this just throwing everything in the slow cooker without sautéing or browning?
This is my second time making this recipe and it’s a huge kit. Definitely doesn’t taste like a “typical” crock pot meal. For some reason my grocery store never has barley, so I sub Italian Faro with great results. Sometimes I use stew meat or sometimes I cut up a chuck roast, depending what I have on hand. I also like to throw in a beef soup bone for extra depth of flavor. I agree with the previous poster who said it tastes like pot roast. This is going into my regular rotation for now on. Thanks again Mel!
Hi Mel!! This soup looks delish! I can’t wait to make it this weekend! One question-do you think it would freeze well??
It freezes pretty well! The barley is slightly softer when reheating but I think it still works.
For some reason my grocery store ONLY had quick barley. What’s the risk of using it?
It’ll probably overcook (and might turn mushy)…you could try adding it in later to the cooking process.
Oh my heavens, this is amazing. I just took a taste from the crockpot to see how it turned out, and I almost couldn’t stop eating by the spoonful from the pot. It is SO good. Perfect flavors, texture, and richness. I did low for just over 5 hours before turning mine off (not on “keep warm” which seems to really keep cooking it). I did cut my meat into small chunks because I didn’t want to re-cut later for my small kids. So that will help it cook and be tender sooner. I have cooked dozens of Mel recipes, and this is going to be near the top of “perfection” from my Mel list.
Hi Mel,
I’m making this today for the third time. I love barley soups and this one is delicious. I want to cut back on calories so I used 1 lb of beef instead of 1.5 lbs. I like the mushrooms but my husband doesn’t so I omitted mushrooms and added celery. I didn’t have tomato paste but it tastes better if you add the paste so don’t skip it! Soups usually call for pasta, potatoes, or rice because they don’t seem as hearty without something that sticks to your ribs, but barley works great. Thanks for sharing this one, it’s our new family favorite! Carol
I made this for dinner the other day. The only modification I made was used only 4 cups of beef broth, no chicken broth because I wanted it more like a thick stew instead of a soup. It was so good and everyone loved it.
I was wondering if anyone has frozen this recipe? What did it turn out like? I need to use up some stew meat that’s in the fridge right now but we have dinner plans tomorrow and I don’t know when we would get around to enjoying it. It looks so tasty and perfect for a rainy day.
Made this today and had it for dinner. AHHHMAZING. Bam!
Simply delicious and so easy!
I’ve never had a whole lot of luck with my slow cooker. None of the flavours seem to turn out quite right. But I got desperate the other day – the cold weather has been moving in, I was craving something hearty, I had to work in the afternoon and I had beef in the freezer and barley in the pantry.
Cue me googling beef and barley soup recipes and finding my way here. Mel, this recipe is fabulous! The flavours are wonderful, the beef melted in my mouth and it was delicious and warming, just what I needed. This is by far the most delicious thing that has ever come out of my slow cooker. I am thoroughly looking forward to perusing the rest of the site for more of your fantastic recipes!
Thanks Sally! So happy you loved this one. I agree the slow cooker can be hit and miss; it’s always fun and refreshing to stumble upon a slow cooker keeper!
Hi. I am new to your blog, and absolutely love it. Because of you, I am making this recipe for the second time in 5 days, and I have given up the recipe I had previously used for Beef Barley Soup for more than 20 years. Delicious!
So glad you love this soup, Karen – thanks for letting me know!
Made this earlier this week and it was a huge hit! I found all of my ingredients at Trader Joe’s and only had the “quick cook” barley. I ended up putting the barley in for the last hour and half and it cooked up fine…a little soft but I thought it was great! I cooked on high for 5 hours because I was in a hurry. Worked out great! 🙂
I left out the mushrooms and added 2 stalks of chopped celery to add some more veggies.
Thanks for sharing!!!! I will definitely be making this again!
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Mel, I need you to know how thankful I am for this recipe! Seriously, every. single. time. I make it, I wonder why I don’t just make it every night LOL… But really, thank you because both my family and I really LOVE it!