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Slow Cooker Hearty Beef and Barley Soup: A Feast for the Soul

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich beef barley soup, featuring chunks of beef, bright carrots, and cooked barley.
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This slow cooker beef barley soup recipe delivers tender beef, chewy barley, and savory vegetables in a rich broth. It is the ultimate ‘set it and forget it’ comfort food for a busy weeknight or a cozy winter meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup frozen peas (added at the end)

Instructions

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until nicely seared on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to the basin of your slow cooker.
  3. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the same skillet. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions soften. Add the minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant.
  4. Transfer the sautéed vegetables and garlic mixture into the slow cooker over the beef.
  5. Pour in the beef broth. Add the rinsed pearl barley, diced tomatoes (with juice), Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir everything together gently.
  6. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
  7. About 15 minutes before serving, remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the frozen peas. Let the soup cook until the peas are heated through.
  8. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving this hearty beef barley soup hot.

Notes

  • For a thicker broth, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water to create a slurry. Stir this slurry into the soup during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  • If you prefer a richer beef flavor, sear the beef in batches and use the browned bits left in the skillet to deglaze with a splash of broth before adding the vegetables.
  • This recipe is excellent for meal prep; the flavor deepens overnight.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gourmetgaze.com/beef-barley-soup-slow-cooker-recipe/