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Beef and barley soup doesn’t have to start with a chuck roast. This recipe uses ground beef and plenty of mushrooms for a rich, savory broth without hours of simmering. It’s the kind of soup that makes a good dinner with a warm piece of crusty bread on the side.
Ground Beef Keeps Things Simple
A meal in one pot. The beef, barley, and vegetables make a substantial dinner without needing much on the side.
No chuck roast to prep. Ground beef browns right in the soup pot, so there’s no need to cut up a roast or wait for the meat to become tender.
Browned mushrooms add depth. Cooking off their moisture and letting them brown gives the broth a richer, more savory flavor.
Pearl barley adds texture. It becomes tender and slightly chewy while giving the broth a little more body.
Key Ingredients
Ground beef: Lean ground beef is a good choice for this soup. An 85/15 or 90/10 blend will give you plenty of beef flavor without leaving too much grease in the broth.
Cremini mushrooms: Also called baby bellas, these have a rich, earthy flavor. White button mushrooms are a good substitute if that’s what you have.
Pearl barley: Make sure you’re using pearl barley, not hulled barley, which takes longer to cook. Quick-cooking barley isn’t ideal here because it can become too soft during the simmer.
Green beans: Fresh or frozen both work. There’s no need to thaw frozen green beans before adding them to the soup.
Beef broth: Store-bought broth works fine, but homemade beef bone broth is another option. Choose a lower-sodium broth if you’d like more control over the seasoning.
Recipe Tips
Let the mushrooms cook down. Give them time to release their moisture and let most of that liquid evaporate before adding the broth. A little browning adds extra flavor.
Check the barley for tenderness. Pearl barley should be tender with a slight chew, not hard in the center. Cooking times can vary, so taste a few grains before adding the green beans.
Keep extra broth handy. Barley absorbs quite a bit of liquid, even after the soup is finished cooking. Add more broth if the soup gets thicker than you like.
Season at the end. Beef broth and Worcestershire sauce both contain salt, so taste the finished soup before adding more.
Freeze individual portions. Let the soup cool, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add a little broth when reheating.
What to Serve with Beef Barley Soup
A slice of crusty bread is hard to beat with a bowl of beef barley soup, especially when there’s plenty of broth to soak up. Try our oatmeal dinner rolls or homestyle oatmeal bread.
If you’d like something fresh on the side, a classic Caesar salad makes a nice contrast to the hearty soup.
Homemade Beef Barley Soup
Ground beef and browned mushrooms give this soup plenty of rich, savory flavor, and the tender barley makes it hearty enough for dinner. Serve it with some crusty bread and call it a meal.
If you enjoy beef barley soup, you might also like our chunky beef barley soup with tender pieces of beef, or our slow cooker beef barley soup when you’d rather let the slow cooker do the work.
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Beef with Mushrooms and Barley
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup pearled barley, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until browned. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another 5–7 minutes, until they release their moisture and begin to brown.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, then pour in a little beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the remaining broth, crushed tomatoes, pearl barley, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Partially cover and simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is nearly tender.
- Add the green beans and continue simmering for 10–15 minutes, until the beans and barley are tender. Add additional broth if the soup becomes thicker than desired.
- Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I’d love to make this, but I think the nutritional numbers are a little off.
Thanks so much for pointing that out! You’re right, the nutrition information needed to be updated. I’ve recalculated it, and the recipe now shows the corrected numbers. I appreciate you catching that, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This reminds me of a beef and barley stew my mom makes! Don’t tell her, but I think I like your version better, haha. She uses ground beef, but I love how you used a chuck roast. Also love your addition of mushrooms and wine!
This looks amazing! Perfect for cozy winter dinner. Happy Holidays ladies!
Thank you, Susan, Merry Christmas to you!