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Vegetable and mushroom soup in a bowl with a metal spoon.
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5 from 7 votes

Beef with Mushrooms and Barley

Ground beef and barley soup with browned mushrooms, carrots, celery, and green beans in a savory tomato and beef broth. Pearl barley adds a tender, slightly chewy texture and makes this soup hearty enough for a meal.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Dish, Soups and Stews
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ground beef and barley soup
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Pat Nyswonger

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.
    Ground meat cooking in a pot with a fork.
  • Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
    Ground meat, onions, carrots, and celery cooking in a white pot.
  • Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another 5–7 minutes, until they release their moisture and begin to brown.
    Sliced mushrooms, carrots, celery, and ground meat cooking in a pot.
  • Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
    Dutch oven with sautéed meat, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and paste.
  • Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, then pour in a little beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
    Liquid pouring from a glass measuring cup into a cooking 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.
    Pouring broth into soup ingredients using a wooden spoon.
  • 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.
    Chopped green beans being added to a pot of vegetable soup.
  • Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Notes

Barley: Use pearl barley, not hulled barley, which takes considerably longer to cook. Barley continues to absorb liquid as the soup sits, so you may need to add more beef broth to maintain a soupy consistency.
Green beans: Fresh or frozen green beans work well. Frozen green beans can go directly into the soup without thawing. They may need a little less cooking time than fresh beans.
Beef broth: The saltiness of beef broth varies by brand. Start with the amount of salt listed in the recipe, then taste and adjust before serving.
Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The barley will continue absorbing broth, so add a splash of broth when reheating.
Freezing: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. The barley and vegetables will soften after thawing. Reheat gently, adding extra broth as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 1160mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2855IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
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