Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup

This homemade beef barley soup is a complete meal in a bowl. Loaded with tender beef, thickly sliced mushrooms, plump barley and studded with carrots and celery, this beef and mushroom barley soup can be made ahead of time, freezes great, and is the perfect hearty soup to warm your body and soul!

Pearled barley is such a great grain for soup-making,  it can usually be bought in the bulk section and only needs a quick rinse before adding to a soup recipe. The starch released during the simmering process is wonderful for thickening up broth and once fully cooked, pearled barley is soft and chewy at the same time.

While there are many variations of barley soup, one of the most common is beef barley soup. Beef barley soup is often made with mushrooms, and this version also includes carrots, celery, onion, and fresh thyme. You can use homemade beef broth as your base or substitute your favorite store-bought beef broth.

You will find that this beef barley soup with mushrooms has a relatively short ingredient list and is free of tomatoes (big request as many beef barley soup recipes are tomato-based) but is huge on flavor! This soup continues to thicken as it sits but if you prefer an extra-thick beef barley soup, add an additional 1/4 cup of rinsed pearled barley to the recipe.

Beef Barley Soup Ingredients:

• Olive Oil or Butter
• Beef Stew Meat
• Yellow Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• White or Crimini Mushrooms
• Salt, Pepper, Fresh Thyme, and Bay Leaf
• Beef Broth
• Pearled Barley

Recipe Tips:

• Pearled barley is the most commonly found form of barley for cooking. It is a small off-white to beige grain that is polished to remove some or all of the bran layer and the outer hull. While pearled barley is a great source of fiber and beta-glucans, this grain is NOT gluten-free and is not considered safe for celiacs or those following a gluten-free diet.
• If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
• While almost any mix of mushrooms will work for this recipe, it is recommended to use mushrooms that are cut on the thicker side and will retain their shape after a long simmer.
• To save time, look in the refrigerated section of the grocery store for prepared “mirepoix” or already diced onion, celery, and carrot mixture.
• This beef barley soup freezes and reheats GREAT.
• To reheat: place defrosted OR frozen soup in a pot, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

More Barley Recipes:

Homemade Turkey Barley Soup

Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup with Kale

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Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins

 

This homemade beef barley soup is a complete meal in a bowl. Loaded with tender beef, thickly sliced mushrooms, plump barley and studded with carrots and celery, this beef and mushroom barley soup can be made ahead of time, freezes great, and is the perfect hearty soup to warm your body and soul!

Course: Soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barley soup, Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup, beef barley soup, beef soup, pearled barley recipes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 338 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 1.5 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4" half-moons
• 2 large celery stalks cut into 1/4" half-moons
• 1 pound white mushrooms or crimini, ends trimmed and sliced into 1/2" thick slices
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1.5 cups pearled barley rinsed

Instructions

To Prepare:

1. Most cubed beef stew meat is cut into 1" pieces. Use a knife to cut each cube in half so that all beef stew pieces are cut into 1/2" pieces.

2. Dice yellow onion.

3. Rinse and peel carrots. Cut into 1/4" half moons.

4. Rinse celery and cut into 1/4" half moons.

5. Gather salt, pepper, fresh thyme, bay leaf, and broth. Rinse pearled barley and set aside.

To Cook:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil, cubed beef stew meat, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned and mostly cooked through.

2. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, sliced mushrooms, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.

3. Add in beef broth, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Once boiling, add rinsed pearled barley, cover, and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. When cooking time is up, remove lid and use a tongs to remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs (the leaves will have fallen off into the soup so just remove the sprigs) and discard.

5. Allow soup to cool for 15 50 20 minutes before serving or storing for future use. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

NOTES:

Recipe Tips:

• Pearled barley is the most commonly found form of barley for cooking. It is a small off-white to beige grain that is polished to remove some or all of the bran layer and the outer hull. While pearled barley is a great source of fiber and beta-glucans, this grain is NOT gluten-free and is not considered safe for celiacs or those following a gluten-free diet.
• If you don't have fresh thyme, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
• While almost any mix of mushrooms will work for this recipe, it is recommended to use mushrooms that are cut on the thicker side and will retain their shape after a long simmer.
• To save time, look in the refrigerated section of the grocery store for prepared "mirepoix" or already diced onion, celery, and carrot mixture.
• This beef barley soup freezes and reheats GREAT.
• To reheat: place defrosted OR frozen soup in a pot, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

Nutrition Facts

Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup

Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)

Calories 338 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 53mg18%

Sodium 1325mg58%

Potassium 1445mg41%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 3946IU79%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 52mg5%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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UPDATE NOTES: This beef and mushroom barley soup recipe was originally published in February 2012 and was most recently updated in November 2024.