I knew I wanted to start off the week with this beef and barley soup post but yesterday I started to get nervous. It was above zero, sunny, the birds with singing… do people still want hearty soups to eat at this time of year? I woke up this morning frozen and the snow has returned, hiding away all signs of spring. What a tease! At least my sharing this recipe from the cookbook Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom published by Chronicle Books may not appear to be unseasonable.
The original recipe makes enough for eight people which seems ridiculous. I divided it in half and will share the recipe for a serving of four. Who cooks for eight people???
I love beef and barley soup! It is one of my ultimate comfort foods in the winter and I promise this soup is worth it and the beef does literally melt in your mouth. What better way to use Canadian beef? This recipe is definitely Eat, Write, Retreat worthy.
Pat two pounds of cubed stewing beef (fat removed) with paper towel to make sure it is very dry. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Brown meat on all sides in batches, making sure they have lots of room around each piece. I decided to season a little as I go with kosher salt and black pepper. Transfer meat to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Keep going until all the meat is done and add more oil if it gets dry. Remove all meat.
Add 4 cups of low sodium beef stock, a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 tsp soy sauce. The author adds 1/2 tsp of kosher salt at this point but as I said, I prefer to season everything a little as I go so do what you prefer.
It is important to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan which is hard to do with a spoon so I prefer to use a flat bottom olive wooden spatula, works like a charm. Return meat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook 1 1/2 carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4″ thick slices, 1 1/2 ribs of celery, halved and cut into 1/4″ thick slices and 1 small onion, coarsely chopped. The author also adds 1 medium parsnip but I did not have any but if you do, add some. Remove veggies and set aside.
In 1 tbsp of oil that has been warmed up over medium-high heat add 4 ounces of sliced white mushrooms. I have no idea if that is 4 ounces worth, I just love mushrooms so I sauteed a bunch. Cook both batches of veggies for about 5 minutes each. I seasoned both batches lightly with salt and pepper.
After the meat has cooked for 1 1/2 hours add the sauteed veggies (hold the mushrooms), 1 cubed potato (I used two small potatoes), 1/2 cup of pearl barley, and 2 tsp of fresh chopped thyme (or 1/2 tsp of dried). You are supposed to bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 45-60 minutes but I obviously did not have enough broth.
I added more, just enough to cover everything and give the barley something to soak up.
Perfect! Well, the potatoes were a bit too big so I broke them down a little with a wooden spoon. I added the mushrooms and heated everything through for a couple of minutes.
This recipe absolutely lives up to its name, this definitely melted in your mouth and gets even better the next day! It was also perfectly seasoned, LOL. This was absolutely the best beef and barley soup I have ever had! In truth, it ends up being more of a stew than a thin soup but for a cold day, nothing is more filling and fabulous.
I give this recipe five out of five wooden spoons!
The soup/stew is just perfect, it does look melt in your mouth delicious. It’s still stew season as far as I’m concerned, as long as the furnace is running stew will still be made!
Like the way you think…..
Oh yes to stew and no to soup. Loving stew and the thick, comfort taste is so worth it!
I am so looking forward to trying this recipe. As for your comment about the furnace running, one of the blessings of whole-house A/C is that it allows for soups and stews throughout the year!
I was waiting for a mention of celery but it was never mentioned even though the green veg on the picture definitely looks like celery !!!??? Or was the pictures placed with the wrong recipe’s !!!!
Hey Chris! You are right, there is celery in the recipe. You can see it listed in the “Get Recipe” section and it is also in this post, “1 1/2 ribs of celery, halved and cut into 1/4′′ thick slices”. So yes, make sure to include celery and I really hope you enjoy the dish!
Oh this looks SO good! I’ve never cooked with barley, but I love it. I’m going to try this one for sure!
Thanks Ava and Tammy! So glad I could bring across all the deliciousness. It is still stew season Ava, what a shame. Food is my only consolation for the cold. Furnace is still blasting here!
Tammy, this was only my second time cooking with barley myself but I love it and am going to try putting it into just about everything. I like it was more than rice and it’s very good for you. I hope you like it!
If you are suggesting the reviews are fake, get a life.
I just have to try this beef barley soup. I can’t use the onion as my husband is allergic but I’ll put something else in its place. This soup sounds heavenly! Thanks for sharing it with everyone!
If you could use Shallots instead Bernice, go for it! Hope you like it too.
Hi there, I have a friend who is allergic to all onions, so, when I cook for her I use Fennel bulb instead of onion! I loved it so much I use it all the time now
Happy cooking
Well aren’t you clever Laurie, that’s a brilliant solution!
You could try substituting 1 leek for the onion as it has a very mild onion flavor & would taste good in this I’d
think! 🙂
That is a fantastic suggestion Yvonne if they are not sensitive to leeks, great idea!
Try it with leeks instead of onion
Beef ‘n barley soup is one of my absolute faves and this sounds delish!
Yum! You always have such awesome photos. I hope you get one of the scholarships! It would be great to hang out with you! (especially in Washington DC) 🙂
Me too Debra, so good and this is truly amazing!
Thank you Dan, that is so sweet and it would be so cool to meet in person and hang out in Washington DC, wouldn’t it?! We’ll see! So glad you are going, you are going to have the best time.
To Suzie the Foodie:
You are a recipient of “The Lovely Blog Award”. I adore your blog and appreciate all the hard work and love you put into your recipes! To see the award please visit
http://www.prep2eat.blogspot.com/
Please pass this award along to 15 other deserving bloggers. Congrats!
The Souper
Aren’t you a sweetie? Thank you The Souper and congrats on getting the award too!
Sunday Soup is my new favorite cookbook! We went on a dinner sleigh ride in Keystone, CO where they served beef and barley soup – it was out of this world. I can’t stop thinking about it! I’m going to try this recipe!
I have read a bunch of comments…has any one made the stew/soup?? I am interested in knowing how it turned out for people?!?
I have made it and loved it. I am making it again.
Today I am heading out to the local farmer market to purchase free range beef bones for stock. Tonight my house will be redolent with the smell of roasting bones and veggies and by tomorrow night I will have made this soup you so nicely describe and beautifully photograph.
It indeed looks tasty. My sweetheart will be very happy!
Oh, and btw, I cook for 8 all the time.
Noor, you are so lucky you can do that! My store doesn’t sell bones at all. I hope you enjoy the soup, you and your sweetie. Wow, you cook for 8? I can’t imagine!
I make larger batches of soup and freeze in two serving containers all the time. It’s great to be able to just heat it up on a cold and frosty day.
Making this tonight
Making this as we speak. House smells good, I’ll tell you how it turns out. One issue I always run into when cooking with beef, is it always ends up too tough. So I wonder. .am i not cooking it enough or am I over cooking it? I hope this time is different
Yes, would love to know how this turns out Faith! When it comes to the beef, depends on the quality and fat content. If it’s a lean meat it may not require too much time. If it’s fatty, it’ll be more insulated and can take (and likes) the long heat. I hope that helps!
This looks exactly like the beef barley soup I used to make for my grandma! Except I didn’t put mushrooms in it.
Oh, and by the way, I’m used to cooking for 14 when I cook because that is the size of our family!
Hi Cadie! Thank you so much for your comment, I am so glad that the recipe is so much like your grandmother’s and of course you could omit the mushrooms if you want. Wow, you have a family of 14???!!! Well this will feed them for sure! 🙂
This is my go-to beef barley soup recipe! It never disappoints and is very flexible. Thank you for posting this!
Yay!!! Kathy, you made my day. 🙂
Just found your recipe in my Pinterest newsfeed. I agree, who cooks for eight unless one has a large family or is expecting lots of company. 🙂 You could freeze the leftovers for quick, easy lunches or dinners. (I have 2-3 different soups in my freezer during fall/winter season). When I’m feeling better going to try making this — it looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
Yes, love freezing leftovers! Oh I do hope you like it Gayle. It was a winner at our place. Enjoy!
It’s too bad you had no parsnip because it’s fabulous – I use it in every soup or stew. It adds a sweetness that’s not overpowering. Try it next time!
Soup is great. I used 6 cups of beef broth and it was perfect.
Wonderful! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Family of 5 with a teenage boy we always cook for eight and rarely have leftovers.
I got stuck on “who cooks for eight people”. I do. Is that really such a weird thing? There aren’t 8 in my family but we have kid friends over frequently and leftovers are great.
I grew up in a family of six and that was considered large, guess it depends on what you’re used to.
I got stuck at that comment also. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one. And going through the comments, there seems to be several that have not gone done the “Ideal family road”.
It’s true Sarah! Who knows what’s ideal or normal for a family these days? LOL.
So I can 2.5xs the recipe for 10 servings, right? I cook for 10 in my home.
That sounds about right Nicole and OMG! That’s a ton of people to feed! Hope you like it as much as I did. 🙂
After all of the wonderful reviews I can’t wait to make this..when I was a young girl mother would fix Beef Barley soup..was one of my favorites..thank you for sharing the recipes with us!
It’s wonderful to hear all the positive feedback, isn’t it? Glad I am not the only one enjoying this incredible soup. My pleasure Cathy! Enjoy.
Oh my! I so want to make this…and I will…as soon as my fractured foot heals! I will double it back to cooking for 8 even though there are only 3 of us. Left overs and work lunches will take care of that within a day or two. This was just what I was looking for!
I really hope you like it as much as we do Kathy!!! And hope your food heal quickly. Ouch!
This soup was awesome.I doubled the stock and was still really thick
This soup was awesome.I doubled the stock and was still really thick
Fantastic Laura, I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
This looks great. I’m making it tomorrow using oxtail for the meat. Chuckling to myself as I will be cooking for 10 plus they will want leftovers. We eat as a group every week at my office. No worries as I’ve learned how to up the amounts. We’ve been doing this about a year now. Thought you’d want to know who is out there cooking for more than 4. Lol.
Wow! I hope it turns out great with the oxtail Merri! Damn, that’s a big group, happy to hear this recipe will hopefully suffice. 🙂
Wow! I hope it turns out great with the oxtail Merri! Damn, that’s a big group, happy to hear this recipe will hopefully suffice. 🙂
I’ve made this soup just one time, and all I can say is……DELICIOUS!
I wouldn’t change a thing! The flavors, the texture , and how easy it was to put together will easily make it to the TOP of my go to recipes.
I’m off now…. to make up a big batch to send with my guy to deer camp. Thanks again for this fabulous recipe!
Yay Leanne! I am thrilled to hear that you loved the soup and it is becoming a regular in your kitchen. You are so welcome! Enjoy. 🙂
Just cooked this and mine isn’t as richly dark as yours… Any suggestions?, I even added a little red wine when I deglazed the pan from the meat
It probably depends on the broth you are using. Make sure it is a dark robust one. I hope that helps Lisa!
Hi Suzie.Tje soup is on the stove right now. Can’t wait. We will enjoy with a baguette. It’s just the two of us but we love left overs. Thank you for the recipe.
How was the soup Kim? Hopefully you enjoyed it and had a ton of leftovers! My pleasure. 🙂
I made this tonight but after I took the beef out of the pot, I sautéed the vegetables in the same pot. then I added the beef back as well as the broth and seasonings. Simmer for 1.5 hours and that way you’re only dirtying one pan. I also used two packs of jelly beef stock that you buy in packs of 4 along with 8 cups of water. Turns out amazing.
Smart to only use one pan! Thrilled to hear you liked it and that it turned out great. 🙂 Such an awesome recipe!
I have another recipe for beef barley soup simmering now. But I love the idea of adding the parsnips and mushrooms, so this is the one I’m pinning! Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by Katie and hope the soup you made rocked!
Add some chopped fennel bulb to this and some celeriac. It will change your life.
Interesting… Thanks for letting us know Melissa!!!
When I pinned this recipe I was excited and hoped to make it this weekend since it will be very cold here in Michigan. Unfortunately there isn’t a formatted recipe to follow and it’s to hard decipher ingredients and directions reading through the blog. Do you have this written out in a recipe format? Did I some how miss it in your blog article?
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Nancy, I thought it already had a recipe card! I have now added one for you to print off. I hope you enjoy the soup!
Thank you so much for updating Suzie!! January is always the beginning of “Soup Saturday” in our house and this one looks so thick and delicious I can’t wait to try it. I missed your update for this past Saturday but your soup is on my menu for next Saturday!
My pleasure and yes to January soup cooking! Hope this works great in your kitchen next weekend. 🙂
My daughter made this and it was delicious!!
Can this soup be made in the crock pot and if so how does the timing change? Is it as good from the crock pot?
I am so glad your daughter had great results with this recipe Mary! Funny, I am in the middle of developing a pressure cooker version of this recipe. For the slow cooker though, I would still brown the meat, deglaze and then remove. Then I would saute the veggies and put everything in a slow cooker maybe with 3/4 of the liquid but for a good six hours on low. If it needs more liquid, add it halfway. If it is too thin, you could use a cornstarch slurry and then thicken on the stovetop. I hope that works!
I made this tonight and it was delish! Will be making it again!
Alright! Thrilled to hear you liked it Brenda!
I Made this this winter and it was delish, everyone loved it. A friend just had surgery and requested this soup. I found my copy of the recipe and misplaced it. I remembered suzie and headed to Pinterest and found you, Yah. Now I can’t find the printed recipe without the pictures. I do not know all the tricks to this site but I have tried all I know to no avail.
Hi Stephanie! Sadly my site got hacked and all my recipe cards are toast but you can find the recipe here now: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByFnv0lodEJRNEdXVmtUd1VJR00
I hope that helps and hope your friend likes it and helps with the recovery.
I make this soup all of the time! It is definitely one of my favorites! It has such a good flavor. I’ve made it with and without parsnips. Either way you cannot go wrong!
Oh wonderful Rosetta! Thank you for letting me know you make it a lot and yes, without parsnips, I’m with you on that one. 🙂 Whatever floats your foodie boat.
I loved it. I however substituted chicken thighs for the beef and rice for the barley. Turned out magnificently. Living on the farm in the hills of Tennessee we dont always get to the store except, when we get our card refilled on the first of the month. So we often have to make substitutions. My daughter’s wants it for her graduation party. You should try feeding 16 total. Me and pa and 8 children and 6 grandchildren. Thanks so much
Wow that sounds great, we always have plenty of chicken breasts as my husband cant eat red meat and is on a fat free diet after his 3rd heart attack. Thats a big family you have to feed. I appreciate the advice.
Whatever floats your foodie boat!!! I can’t even imagine trying to feed that many people. Glad that it works with chicken too.
I love beef and barley soup, (i put barley in everything possible) have made many different variations, will try this one as it looks delicious!! There is just my husband and I, but love leftovers and/or freezing for a quick meal during the week. I’ve always called it stoop (stew/soup). I prefer Turnip over parsnip myself 🙂
Thanks for sharing! will go check out more recipes from you!
Stoup! I call it stoup sometimes too and hey, feel free to make it your own Krista! My pleasure. Thank you for coming by and commenting.
Oh my the recipe is awesome. I also used the chicken thighs as recommend with rice. Here in georgia we aint always to able to find barley. The mushrooms add a wonderful meatiness to the dish. Keep up the great work sweetie. My 93 year old mother also gave it 5 stars, it brings so many memories back as dad also loved homemade soups, more than anything. He said that soup is like family it only gets better with time. My mother always tears up a bit when we have any soup, but she always requests some kind every second sunday. Thanks again.
Wonderful news Elizabeth! So happy that it worked with chicken thighs and rice, amazing! Wow… Please tell your Mom I am honoured. You Dad is very wise! So happy I could help. 🙂
My goodness this is a wonderful hearty meal. I followed your exact directions. However i plan on trying it with the chicken thighs tonight and the rice as recommend. It would be hard to beat your recipe but if it turns out ok, maybe it ll be a good alternative. I shall let you know how it turns out. Great job!!!
So glad you liked it Helen!!! And yes, let me know how it turns out with the chicken thighs and rice.
Hello Suzie, we tried chicken thighs and rice the other night. Very good but not as delicious as the original. However chicken thighs are much cheaper per lb then beef. So i suppose if your on a tight budget the thighs would be just fine. Keep up the great work👏
Helen, yes, I don’t think you can ever really compare chicken thighs to beef! But I am glad it was still good. Thank you so much for the comment and for the support! 🙂
Ive made this and it is absolutely delicious. The meat is so tender! Love it!
Wonderful Jill! So glad you loved it too! Thank you so much for letting me know.
“Who cooks for eight people?” you ask; I cook for more than that every Saturday afternoon, and at least once a month, am cooking for up to 20 people! I’d have to multiply this recipe at least five times because all of us love barley and beef, and this reads like a delicious dish.
You are amazing Joyce! Wow! That would make this a very expensive dish, LOL, but totally worth it if you can do it. Enjoy!
This looks delicious. I’m going to make it for dinner tomorrow night. Let you know how it works out.
Hope you love it as much as we all did Ann!!! Yes, please let me know how it turns out, that would be great.
This was really good!! Will definitely make again.
Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know, so glad you liked it.
Thanks for the recipe. It’s just what I’ve been looking for. I’mgoing to try canning it
You’re welcome Sarah! My pleasure and what a COOL idea!
I just made the Beef Barley Soup….OMG was it good. I simmered mine in my Dutch oven. Probably the best soup that I have ever made in my entire life. Then I made the Red Lobster type biscuits to go with the soup. Fantastic meal….and I used the parsnips too.
Yay Wendy!!! So very happy to hear that you LOVED the soup and I gotta say, it’s one of my favourites too and so smart of you to make those fabulous Red Lobster style biscuits. Bravo!
Thank you for posting – these soups look amazing.
You are welcome Lilly! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
It sounds just like the one I make only never thought of adding mushrooms AND I LOVE MUSHROOMS. So the next time I make it I will try the mushrooms and I like the fennel suggestion also. Will be a bit before I try it as I make 40 liters st a time hahaha. Thanks for the tips
Brent, it totally elevated a classic to a new level! I often say I must be part hobbit, I love mushrooms so much too. Wow, that’s a lot!! 40 litres!!!
What a wonderful and flavorful soup. Just finished a large bowl and am very satisfied. Easy to make, good directions and just about fool proof. I did not add potatoes as I thought it rich enough. Dear wife, a restaurant cook for years said it was the best she ever had. Pleased me to no end for her nod. Going to look at you other recpies.
John, you just made my day! So happy you and your wife liked it, huge praise and hey, happy to know skipping the potatoes still makes it delicious. Enjoy recipe hunting!
I’ve been using this recipe ever since I found it on your old blog, what 5, 6, more years ago? I love it, and it has become one of my family’s most-requested. Thank you!
Kathy, you just made my day!!! I am so happy you and your family love this recipe and continue to enjoy it to this day. Thank you for letting me know.
This recipe looks great! Does it freeze well? I have a coworker who is pregnant and I want to make this for her to have! Thank you!
I personally haven’t put it in the freezer because it doesn’t last long Faren but I bet it would be perfect. She may have to add additional broth (from a box is fine) when reheating since the barley will have a tendency to soak it up. I hope she likes it!
Thank you so much for sharing. I read through the other comments and added more broth with some wine. Cooked a total of three hours on the stovetop. It was really hearty and delicious.
Would be great to convert to a slow-cooker recipes. I make one in the slow-cooker that is stew beef, canned tomatoes, and barley and my house gobbles it up – makes for a nice meal at the end of a long day.
Absolutely Shelley, go for it! That’s a great idea.
Curious how the crockpot turned out. I’m going to try it in the crockpot too!
You obviously do not have a family! Who cooks for 8? WOW! What a jerk thing to say!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’ve been looking for recipes with parsnips. Have a great day!
I think this a fantastic recipe. It’s in my soup rotation. Wishi would have seen it in 2011🤦♀️
Nutrional info? Specifically calories per serving
Thank you!
This is such a fantastic recipe! Since I changed my diet to plant based, I use the farm boy plant based “beef”, and a plant based broth, and boom! Still get to eat my favourite soup! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Oh that’s amazing it worked well with Farm Boy’s plant-based beef, fascinating!!! So happy for you and thank you for letting me know Wendi.
Very nice recipe. I left out the mushrooms because we have a hater. I added minced garlic. I also cooked it in my pressure cooker. Everything into the pot for 30 minute. It all cooked perfectly. Thank you for a great recipe.
I have a pot of this soup simmering right now. I added just a clove of garlic. I had some homemade beef stock in the freezer that I used. And I’ll tell ya what women, this is the best tasting soup Ever. LoL. I am very pleased how it’s turning out. I have a friend that is a pretty good cook, and I’m going to proudly take him a bowl of it. Thanks for a great soup this broth in it is the bomb😀
Yay! I am super thrilled you loved the recipe! Thank you so much for letting us know Debbie.
This recipe is wonderful. My family loves this dish. When cooler weather sets this is what they want. Thank you.
Yay! I am THRILLED to hear that the recipe is a hit William! I will be making it again soon too.
Made this today just as written and it was WONDERFUL. I did add the parsnip and I think that added a secret flavor. I was thinking of adding more mushrooms but glad I didn’t as the balance was perfect. Served with rustic multi grain bread.