EASY BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Read Time: 6 minutes
by Karen
20 comments

This easy beef barley soup has become a post-holiday tradition in my house. It’s a hearty, savory classic that combines tender beef, barley, and vegetables in a rich broth for a comforting and nutritious soup. It’s my favorite way to use up leftover roast beef or prime rib and of course, extract all that lovely flavor from the beef bones.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a hearty and filling one-pot meal. Who doesn’t love an easy cleanup?
It’s easy to make. No special skills are required. If you can chop vegetables you can make this soup.
It’s made with leftover beef from a roast or prime rib so it’s quite an economical soup to make.
It will feed a crowd and can also be stretched out to feed more people by adding more broth and barley.

What Ingredients Do I Need

If you have leftover roast beef or prime rib bones you only need a few extra ingredients. Mainly vegetables, barley, and broth.

Leftover beef or prime rib bones and some meat – Alternatively you could cook some beef specifically for this soup but it’s so much easier and quicker to make it with leftovers.
Onion – 1 medium onion peeled and chopped.
Carrots – Washed and chopped.
Celery – Washed and chopped.
Garlic – Chopped.
Beef stock – For the best results, I like to use a good quality, organic, low-sodium stock or broth.
Barley – I prefer using regular hulled barley over pearl barley in my recipes as it contains its bran layer and therefore is a whole grain and more nutritious. However, while pearl barley has had its bran layer removed and is not a whole grain it will still work for this recipe. If using pearl barley it will not need to be soaked before using.
Worcestershire Sauce – This will add another layer of umami flavor.
Bay leaf

Ingredients for beef barley soup in bowls on a countertop.

How To Make Beef Barley Soup

This is a very easy soup to make. The stove does most of the work while the soup simmers.

Prepare barley – If using regular barley soak it in room temperature water for about an hour before using. Drain well before adding it to the soup. If you’re using pearl barley there is no need to soak it first. It will cook in the soup.
Chop vegetables – Chop onions, celery, carrots, and garlic into small pieces. If you like a chunkier soup cut larger pieces and if you like a smoother soup chop them finer.

Someone dicing onions on a cutting board

Someone dicing celery on a cutting board.

Cook vegetables – Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot add about 28g (2 tbsp) of olive oil. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery and saute for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened but not browned. If the vegetables are starting to brown, lower the heat.

A pot of chopped onions cooking on a stove.

Someone adding chopped carrots to a pot of onions cooking on a stove.

Add garlic – Add the chopped garlic to the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add beef bones and chopped meat

Someone adding chopped garlic to a pot of onions, celery & carrots cooking on a stove.

A pot of chopped vegetables & beef bones cooking on the stove.

Add liquids – Add the beef broth and water to the pot and bring to a simmer.

Someone adding beef broth to a pot of chopped vegetables cooking on a stove.

Someone adding water to a soup pot on the stove.

Add barley, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce – Add the drained barley, bay leaf, and Worcestershire to the pot. Cover with a lid and bring the soup back to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the barley has softened.

Someone adding barley to a pot of soup cooking on the stove.

Someone adding worcestershire sauce to a pot of soup cooking on a stove.

Serve – Remove the beef bones and the bay leaf from the pot and season the soup with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve the soup alongside some fresh crusty bread.

A bowl of soup on a table with a napkin & spoon beside it.

Recipe Tips and Tricks For Success

For the best flavor use at least 3 beef bones to make the soup. Even better if you have more.
If you’re using regular barley be sure to soak it for at least an hour before adding it to the soup. If you’re using pearl barley you don’t need to soak it.
Simmer the soup for the full 40 minutes to ensure the barley is cooked. It will be cooked when it has softened and is no longer crunchy.
Don’t be tempted to omit the Worcestershire sauce. It adds a lovely umami flavor.

Recipe Variations

For the best flavor, I recommend using beef broth to make this soup however if you prefer you could use chicken or vegetable stock. Just keep in mind the flavor won’t be quite as full and rich however it will still be good.

An overhead shot of a pot of soup with a wooden spoon next to it.

Recipe Substitutions

This soup would be very different without the beef bones and the beef so I don’t recommend trying to make a vegetarian version. You could however use chicken or vegetable stock in place of the beef stock if you wished. The flavor won’t be quite as rich but it will still be good.

As barley contains gluten this soup is not suitable for people on gluten-free diets.

Storage Tips

This soup will keep for 5 days covered in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer, however, keep in mind the barley will continue to soak up some of the liquid. When you heat the soup up again, you can add more beef broth to loosen it up. Alternatively, if you know you won’t be eating it all at once, cook the barley separately and keep it in a covered container in the fridge. Add as much as you need as you eat the soup.

3 bowls of beef barley soup with a spoon.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS;

Should you cook barley before adding to soup? If you have soaked it, there is no need to cook the barley first. Barley only takes about 35 minutes to cook so it will simmer long enough in the soup to cook. 

What is the difference between barley and pearl barley? Regular barley has only had its husk removed. It still contains its bran layer and therefore is considered a whole grain. Pearl barley has had its husk and bran layer removed and is not a whole grain. Pearl barley has also been polished.

How do you keep barley from getting soggy in soup? Because barley soaks up liquid it can get soggy if it sits in your soup for too long. If you won't be eating all of the soup or serving it right way you can cook your barley separately and just add the amount you need when serving.