This beef and barley soup is rich, savory, and hearty. It features high protein tender beef, chewy barley, a deep umami flavor from the slow-simmered broth, and an abundance of healthy aromatic vegetables. Make it over the weekend and enjoy it all weekโor freeze it!

Why This Recipe Works
- Loaded with flavor. The combination of browning the meat and sauteing the vegetables, and slowly simmering gives this soup a fabulous savory beefy umami flavor.
- Perfect for making ahead! Make it on the weekend and eat on it all week! It keeps and reheats well and can even be frozen!
- Healthy. I loaded this soup with vegetables such as kale, carrots, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, and celery, so it's packed with Vitamin A and potassium as well as other wonderful vitamins and minerals. The barley provides fiber, magnesium, and iron, while the beef packs in the protein.
Beef Barley and Vegetable Soup Ingredients

I know, it seems like there are a lot of ingredients in this soup, but they are well worth. Trust me. I intentionally added in extra vegetables to make it even healthier and nutritious! Make this soup on a day off over the weekend, then serve it for leftovers, lunches, or freeze itโit makes a big batch!
Ingredients
- Beef Chuck Roast. I bought a boneless chuck roast then removed any excess fat.
- Vegetables. This soup has it allโthe classics (onions, carrots, and celery) plus mushrooms, kale, and canned fire-roasted tomatoes. I debated adding in a diced bell pepper for sweetness but I thought that would push the ingredient limit too far for some! You can add a diced pepper (any color) in if you want.
- Garlic. I cheated and used "jarlic"โpeeling and mincing garlic is not my favorite thingโeven though I know fresh garlic has more flavor.
- Beef Stock.
- Worcestershire.
- Pearled Barley.
- Herbs. Fresh parsley and dried thyme. If you want to use fresh thyme just toss in 3 to 4 sprigs when it simmers then remove the sprigs before adding the kale.
- Lemon Juice. This adds acidity and freshness. If you can, freshly squeezed lemon juice has the best flavor.
- Salt and Pepper. Sprinkle it in with the beef before searing and add more to taste before serving.
Special Equipment
- A large dutch oven or soup pot
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- Pre-cut stew meat may be used, but may required additional simmer time.
- Add in more vegetables if you'd likeโI like diced bell peppers to add more color and nutrients.
- Spinach or other greens could be swapped for the kaleโor a mix.
- Pasta could be added in lieu of the barley, just add it the last 30 minutes.
- Play around with herb combinationsโfresh or dried. You could certainly toss in a couple of bay leaves.
- To give this soup some kick you could add diced or sliced jalapeรฑos or other hot pepper. Red pepper flakes could be used too.
How To Make Beef and Barley Soup with Vegetables
For full details, please see the printable recipe card below.
- Season and sear the beef.
- Saute the vegetables.
- Simmer tomatoes, Worcestershire, stock, water, beef, and barley. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the kale, continue to simmer until kale is soft, about 30 minutes
- Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
How To Serve It
This is a true one pot meal so you don't need much. If you are having company or looking for a little more here are a couple of suggestions:
- It pairs well with crusty bread and/or crackers.
- Soup always goes well with a tossed green salad if you're looking for a little more. I would recommend a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
If you want more ideas for using beef chuck roast - be sure to give one of these delicious soups and stews a try: Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup or this savory Slow Cooker Hawaiian Beef Stew.You will love them!
Kori's Tips
- To prep this ahead of time you could chop all of the vegetables and cut the meat into cubes.
- This makes wonderful leftovers and freezes well. Tackle this soup on a day off, then use some and freeze the rest, or eat on it all week for lunch or dinner.
Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later!
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Leftovers. Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 4 months.
- Reheating. Reheat on a stovetop in a saucepan over medium-low heat or microwave single portions at 50% power, covered, for 1 to 3 minutes stirring periodically.
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! ๐ Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
Beef and Barley Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil (divided; vegetable oil has a higher smoke point, so it's better suited for browning the beef at a higher temperature)
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1" pieces (excess fat removed)
- ยพ teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups onions (about 8 ounces, diced)
- 1 cup carrots (about 4 ounces, peeled and sliced)
- 1 cup celery (about 4 ounces, sliced)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 48 ounces beef stock
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- ยฝ cup pearl barley
- 2 ounces kale (stems trimmed off, leaves very finely chopped)
- ยผ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Instructions
- Coat the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat 1ยฝ tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place the cubes of beef into the pot and brown on the outside. (Note: the meat doesn't have to be browned on all sides - just two is fine.) Remove the beef and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1ยฝ tablespoons of oil. Saute onions, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Continue sauteing until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes, Worcestershire, stock, 2 cups of water, beef (along with any accumulated juices), and barley. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Gently simmer for 1 hour.
- Stir in the kale, bring to a simmer and cover. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until the kale is very soft.
- Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Kori's Tips
Nutrition
ยฉ 2025 Seeking Good Eatsโข
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