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pot of beef barley soup with beef chunks, barley, and vegetables, overhead shot

Beef Barley Soup

Deeply browned chuck roast simmered with vegetables and pearl barley into a rich, hearty soup. Ready in about 2 hours.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, European
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs beef chuck roast cubed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 carrots sliced
  • 3 celery stalks sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 8 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • ¾ cup pearl barley
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method
 

  1. Season beef and sear in batches in olive oil until deeply browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.
  2. Cook onion, carrots, and celery in the same pot, scraping up browned bits, about 6-7 minutes.
  3. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
  4. Return beef to the pot with broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer covered 1 hour.
  5. Stir in barley, simmer uncovered another 35-40 minutes until beef is tender and barley is cooked.
  6. Remove bay leaves, stir in balsamic vinegar, adjust seasoning, and top with parsley before serving.

Notes

Storage note: Refrigerate up to 5 days; freezes well for up to 3 months.
Notes: Brown the beef deeply for the best flavor; add barley partway through to avoid mushiness.