Slow-Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
- Total Time
- 8 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 2pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 to 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (3 to 4); see Tip
- 1quart chicken stock
- 3medium carrots, sliced ½-inch-thick
- 1large yellow onion, chopped
- ½cup pearl barley
- 2fresh thyme sprigs or 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ounce dried porcini, crushed or chopped into small pieces
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 2teaspoons apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or lemon juice, plus more as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
551 calories; 43 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 677 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a 5-to-8-quart slow cooker, add the beef, stock, carrots, onion, barley, thyme, porcini, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 2 cups water. Stir to combine, cover and cook on low until the meat shreds when pulled with two forks, 6 to 8 hours.
- Step 2
If your soup has fat on the surface, skim it with a spoon. (The amount will vary, depending on your cut of meat.) Remove and discard the thyme. If using chuck, shred the meat using two forks right in the pot; if using short ribs, transfer to a cutting board and pull the meat away from the bones. Remove any excess fat and cartilage, then chop and shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker. Stir in the vinegar. If the flavors taste muted, add salt and vinegar. If it’s too mild, add more black pepper.
Tip
- Bone-in short ribs can be pricy but will create a richer broth than chuck. While 2 pounds of short ribs will still create a very savory broth, it will result in less meat in bowls.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Dennis
Dutch oven placed on a rack in a 225°F (105°C) oven with the lid cracked is the advice from Serious Eata
Max Alexander, Rome, Contestant MasterChef Italia 2020-2021
Nobody needs a slow cooker; a Dutch oven on low heat does the same—and allows you to brown the meat first, which is better. Skip the store bought stock in this recipe; you’re making fresh stock during the slow cooking process. Instead use a mix of water and wine.
AnneC
This recipe looks good, but I don't own a slow-cooker. Any advice on how I can make this in an old-fashioned dutch oven?
malahat
I used dried shiitakes, because I had them at hand, and a 3-pound chunk of chuck. I trimmed off as much fat as possible. I also used chicken broth from a jarred base because again, that’s what I had on hand. Cooked it overnight, then refrigerated it till dinner time, which made the fat easier to remove. The result was deeply delicious and satisfying. Will definitely make again — maybe with homemade chicken stock, or beer instead of the water, or ….
Ellyn
Cooked it according to the recipe, except added four stalks of celery. It could have used twice as much barley, more carrots and MUCH less salt. The amount of salt in the recipe is so overpowering that we ended up draining the liquid off and serving the rest as a stew over noodles or with new low sodium stock as a soup. That said, the flavor (after draining) was good, and the recipe has possibilities.
Mildred P.
Delicious, easy family recipe. As an overworked mom, I appreciate not browning the meat (extra pan, extra utensils, extra time, all that grease cleanup) and it didn't detract from results. I sliced the onions, personal preference; used beef chuck, left out the water, used my homemade chicken stock. An excellent, filling meal, devoured by all. The soup thickens nicely on its own. Will definitely make again, probably with more barley.
Eric
Anne in a covered roaster prepare as per the recipe, 325 for about and hour and a half. Take the lid off and add anything that you didn't want overdone. Such as green veggies or baby potatoes. Back into oven uncovered another 30 to 60 minutes and that do it the trick. Best of luck!
AM
I'm subbing farro since I have some on hand.
Ed
Really good and simple recipe. 35 minutes in an InstaPot did the trick. Used 1 1/3 quarts stock. I will double the amount of barley next time.
Apples'nOranges
My Armenian friend makes this with breat of lamb. So delicious! Lots of fresh ground black pepper in hers
Mary
Basic beef barley soup. I cooked it stovetop in a Dutch oven at low simmer. Modifications: I used beef shank bones I happened to have in the freezer. I browned the bones on all sides in olive oil, then added 1/2 c red wine and cooked until reduced. I replaced chicken stock with water (since recipe yields beef stock). After cooking / cooling to room temp I refrigerated overnight. I skimmed the fat from the surface, then reheated and added lemon juice, black pepper. Simple, satisfying.
Raquel
Can this be done in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot?
Becky
I don’t agree with the salt comment. Salt is crucial. I couldn’t find barley so I threw in wild rice and ended up adding 3 medium round white potatoes. This will go in my everyday rotation and will double next time. I thought it was excellent.
Erin
*Definitely* don’t forget the vinegar, the flavors are so off without some acidity
caitlin
Used grapeseed oil to fry mushrooms. Use two tetra packs of mushrooms. Use entire cup of barley. Do not use bay leaves that taste terrible. Use powdered shiitake mushrooms to bump flavor. Don’t forget the vinegar like you did this time.
Heidi
I made the recipe as is (maybe a little more carrots) & used cubed stew beef from Costco. I thought it was just alright. Very easy & good based on time & effort but would be better if beef was browned & maybe some red wine. I have a great beef stew recipe so this was just ok compared to it.
MC in San Jose
I made this soup without the mushrooms because one of my family members can't stand them. I swapped beef broth for the chicken broth to give it a stronger flavor since it was missing the mushrooms. I can't remember if I ever made beef barley soup before but it's been decades since I've had the Progresso version in a can. (meh) Barley has an interesting effect where it gives the soup some thickness. We loved it. I put it in the Instant Pot for 30 minutes with natural release. Yum!
Cy Fatelese
This was very good! Used 2lb boneless beef chuck short ribs and followed the recipe with the following exceptions: browned the beef first (yes, more work, but I think essential to the final flavor). Substituted 2 cups red wine for the water, and used some of the wine to deglaze the pan after browning, to add some wonderful fond to the slow cooker. And I used both thyme and bay leaves. A splash of vinegar at the end kicked it up a notch. Definitely going into the winter rotation!
Elizabeth
Great soup! I made a few alterations based on other commenters, the biggest one of which was that I wanted to throw in a couple of soup bones, but then I’d need to skim the fat. So in the morning I pressure cooked it (35 minutes on high followed by natural release) refrigerated it all day, skimmed the fat at night, and it was tasty! I also added garlic by accident, because I just assumed it must have garlic. I really think it would be worse without it!
Kathy
I followed this recipe word for word. It came out glutinous and bland. It had no depth of flavor, despite slow cooking for many hours. Since no additional salt will make a flavorless dish flavorful, I should have suspected something when I saw it recommends more salt in case the flavors are too muted. The vinegar, moreover, seemed simply an afterthought to help rescue the dish.
Ann
Made this with chuck roast. Followed recipe almost exactly. Used 1 quart of water plus 2 cups. Only 1 teaspoon of salt. After 6 hours I added 2 tablespoons of dark miso, stirred in while still simmering. Very toothsome. I love Laurie Colwins food writing, but didn't have time to brown the meat. Like other commenters - the barley could be amped up.
gourmet everyday
Yes, you could brown the meat and it would probably taste better. But that requires effort, grease splatter and another 20 minutes of prep. Or you could just dump it all in the pot and enjoy a delicious savory soup not long later. I did 40 minutes in the instant pot, added a splash of red wine, celery and thyme. Better than Boullion Beef is far superior to any boxed stock. Came out comforting and savory and perfect.
SteveD
Second time with the dish tonight and made a winner of an adjustment by using trimmed boneless short ribs instead of bone-in ribs or Chuck. I’m not a fan of the sinew of Chuck (greasy in a soup or stew) and the dish is hearty enough without the marrow of bone-in ribs, as much as I love that cut. Of course you could make this with a Dutch oven, but it works fine in a slow cooker for convenience. I like the idea of using farro instead of barley and may try that next time.
J
Great taste and the stew-like texture is nice, only problem was that the barley (I doubled the barley amount) became quite mushy. I wonder if I simmered it for too long, or if this is a quality of barley I wasn't aware of? Would be interested in trying with a more toothsome grain like farro, perhaps.
Erika
Easy recipe. Don’t add more barley than it asks for - I found it too gloopy despite adding more water. I did make it in the oven. Added a parsnip and celery and browned the meat first in the same pot.
AJ
Definitely not enough broth. It is much more like a stew than a soup so next time I'll add potatoes.
KP
Didn’t like this very much, I think because of not searing the beef. It’s a good baseline for a beef & barley stew but ultimately disappointing without much visual appeal or depth of flavor - both of which you’d get from searing, and from maybe using a dark beer or wine. Oh well.
SouthernTransplant
Heeding other comments, I doubled the barley, added more carrots and celery, and did it all in my instant pot. Using my homemade stock and dried thyme, cause that's what was on hand, didn't take away from the homeyness of this dish. I do think it was more stew than soup which was a ok by me.
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