This hearty vegetable beef barley soup is the ultimate comfort meal-in-a-bowl. Thick, deep rich flavors and loaded with healthy grains, veggies and protein. So good!

Hearty beef barley vegetable soup

Hands down, this is one of my favorite soups. I can eat it for a week straight. It's loaded with vegetables, tender barley and beef.

Barley is an excellent source of fiber, protein and many important minerals, making this soup a healthy weeknight dinner (or lunch with the leftovers if there are any). It can, of course, be served as a soup starter in a mug, but I tend to make it a full meal in a big bowl, almost like a stew.

The vegetable beef barley soup takes about 15-20 minutes to pull together before it simmers on the stove for an hour.

There is one surprising ingredient in this recipe – a couple of tablespoons of au jus or demi-glace gravy mix, found in a package. I use Knorr Swiss, but almost any brown gravy mix will do fine. Essentially it's a quick way to add more depth of flavor and thicken the soup. Add slightly less if you prefer your soup with less body. Very worthwhile, even though food purists might say it's cheating. I say why not – it works.

This is a delicious soup perfect for the cold weather. I've even ladled it into mason jars and given it as gifts. I serve it with hot fresh crusty bread for dipping …heaven.  I have to beg my husband to save some for the next day or two.

Tailor To Your Taste

  • Try other vegetables like parsnips and mushrooms. Cubed butternut squash and celeriac are also great additions.
  • Add swiss chard or kale at the end instead of the baby spinach.
  • If you  prefer a vegetarian version – very similar without the meat – try our Vegetable Bean and Barley Soup. Also delish!

Shortcut

  • I chop the vegetables in the food processor. This save time and effort even with processing 2-3 batches of veggies. You can of course dice the veggies by hand.

Make Ahead Beef Barley Soup Recipe

  • The soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. It does thicken as the barley absorbs the broth, so just add some water or broth to thin it out to your desired consistency the next day.

Other hearty soup recipes you might like

  • curried lentil soup (instant pot)
  • ground beef  vegetable soup recipe
  • wedding soup recipe with zest
  • chicken lemon orzo soup Thai-style
  • red lentil soup recipe with vegetables (our #1 most popular soup recipe)
  • French onion soup recipe (instant pot)

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

This hearty vegetable beef barley soup is the ultimate comfort meal-in-a-bowl. Thick, deep rich flavors and loaded with healthy grains, veggies and protein. Delish!

Prep Time 8 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins

Total Time 1 hr 18 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Prevent your screen from going dark

  • 1 pound - 1 1/2 pounds chuck or chuck eye beef (well marbled if possible)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 4 large carrots
  • 4 celery ribs
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 cup chicken broth (about 1 litre)
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup barley (rounded cup)
  • 2 teaspoon Worcesterchire sauce
  • 2 tablespoon from Au Jus or Demi Glace gravy mix package (or brown gravy package)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cup fresh baby spinach (optional)

  • PREPARE THE VEGETABLES: Shortcut method: Peel carrots and cut into large chunks. Cut celery and onion into large chunks. Place carrots, celery and onions in food processor. Pulse a few times until vegetables are chopped into small pieces. Alternatively, dice carrots, celery and onions with a knife.

  • SAUTE BEEF AND VEGETABLES: Heat oil on medium high in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper and brown it on both sides, about 4 minutes. Remove from pot and cut into bite size pieces. Add another teaspoon of oil if necessary. Add vegetables and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.

  • ASSEMBLE THE SOUP: Add chicken and beef broth, water, thyme, barley, Worcesterchire and 2 tablespoons from the gravy base package. Add bite size beef. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer the soup for 1 hour.

  • FINISH THE SOUP: Add baby spinach (if using) and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper if needed or a bit more soup base from the package to achieve the thickness and depth of flavor desired. Serve immediately with lots of bread for dipping.

6

To Make Ahead and Store Leftovers: Store in fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. The barley will expand further in the fridge and soak up the broth. If soup is too thick, add additional water or broth to thin it out if you like. Freeze soup in zipper lock bags or containers when cooled for up to 3 months.

Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition Facts

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

Amount Per Serving (6 g)

Calories 259 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g 18%

Saturated Fat 4g 25%

Cholesterol 52mg 17%

Sodium 1733mg 75%

Potassium 802mg 23%

Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Fiber 5g 21%

Sugar 3g 3%

Protein 20g 40%

Vitamin A 8691IU 174%

Vitamin C 21mg 25%

Calcium 77mg 8%

Iron 4mg 22%

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

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6 g

I've been making versions of this recipe for years by eye. To get the proportions down pat, I loosely adapted my recipe from Best Beef Barley Soup.