Beef Barley Soup

5 from 2 votes

Beef Barley Soup is a the ultimate hearty dinner that is so easy to make. Loaded with ground beef, vegetables and nutrient-rich barley for a filling and delicious meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barley soup, easy weeknight soup, ground beef and barley soup, soup with roux

Servings: Servings

Calories: 565kcal

Author: Milisa

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion diced
3 carrots peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 pound lean ground beef
8 cups water or beef broth
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
4 cups pearl barley pre-cooked if desired

Instructions

Place onions, slice celery and carrots and place in a large skillet with olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally. Cook until vegetables are softened and start to caramelize. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Brown the ground beef in the skillet over medium- high heat, stirring occasionally to crumble and brown on all sides. Drain excess fat and discard.
While the vegetables are cooking, place a dutch oven or large pan over low heat. Melt the butter and stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Stir often, keeping a constant eye on the roux. Continue to cook until roux is between a dark peanut butter color or chocolate brown, depending on how you like it.
Next, add the water or beef broth to the roux, stirring until well combined.
Stir in the vegetables, browned ground beef and the barley. Our barley was pre-cooked, if you do not cook the barley ahead, just add 15 -20 minutes to the cooking time or use quick-cooking barley.
Season with granulated garlic and add more salt and pepper if needed. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Notes

More Add-Ins: Diced tomatoes, canned beans, frozen mixed vegetables, bell peppers or any leftover vegetables you have in the refrigerator can be added to this soup.

Beef: We love to use browned ground beef in soups. Stew meat, cubed steak or leftover roast beef makes an excellent beef barley stew.

Roux: Making a roux for this soup is optional. We love the nutty flavor it adds to the soup from the browned butter and flour mixture. It's especially a great flavor boost if you don't have beef broth.

Leftovers: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, use a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. Don’t forget to label with the contents and date.

Reheat: Cook soup in a pan over medium heat, add a bit of water or broth if desired. Stir until heated through. For frozen soup, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or cook in a covered pot over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition