This easy recipe for slow cooker beef barley soup is not only hearty and delicious, but it makes enough for supper and leftovers and then some! This is the best beef barley soup recipe I know, so hurray for those leftovers!
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will recognize this recipe, which I am re-posting for a couple of reasons. First of all, I made one tiny addition to the recipe (which you will see in the notes), but the recipe itself is almost exactly the same, since it is one of my all time favorites.
The second reason what that when I was making it for the 349,247th time in a row, I decided it badly needed a new picture. I first took its picture back in the early days of this website, and let’s say the picture was not as appetizing as this beloved soup of mine. I do still love the backstory though, so thank for to all of you who are bearing with me for a repeat of one of my top ten favorite recipes – and for those of you who haven’t found it yet, welcome to my favorite soup of all soups. And here’s the fun backstory.
This is the recipe the brave Southern husband fears above all others.
It’s not that it isn’t a fabulous version of beef barley soup…it absolutely is. Thick and filled with chunks of tender, super-slow-cooked beef, pieces of carrot and onion, laced through with fresh parsley and fresh-ground pepper and just a hint of tomato flavor, this is my favorite soup in the entire world. It is the perfect classic beef barley, and even better, it cooks in the slow cooker, so you can toss it together in the morning, go to work, forget it completely, trudge home 10 hours later, walk in the door, smell that gorgeous beef barley soup smell, remember tossing it together early in the morning, and smile a huge smile.
So what is there to be afraid of?
Well, this recipe makes a LOT. I’m sure it’s possible to cut it down — I haven’t actually tried, though, because along with bacon and macaroni and cheese and pizza from the Mason Jar, this particular beef barley soup may just be my favorite food on earth. And the first time we have it, the Southern husband is just fine. He even takes on the hardest part of the recipe, which is chopping up the meat into the small bite-sized pieces. Our tummies are full of warm, scrumptious soup and life is good.
Then we have it again. He’s still pretty much okay.
Still about 600 servings to go. And he begins to break down. Because I guess there actually are some people in the world who don’t like to have wonderful beef barley soup for lunch and dinner for days and days in a row. Yes, I know I could freeze it…but the thing is, I personally DO like to have wonderful beef barley soup for lunch and dinner for days and days in a row. This is why they say opposites attract.
So a while back we made a pact. He would not get That Look On His Face when I made it, and I would only make in the colder months, and not too many times in a row. Which led to the following conversation last week:
Me: I’m going to make the beef barley soup this week!!
Him: Already???
Me: It’s October! It’s cold out! We’ve already had FROST!
Him (in long-suffering patient voice): Okay….
But trust me, aside from the fact that it makes a swimming pool-sized portion, it is the best beef barley soup you will ever, ever make, taste or have giant vats of leftovers of. It’s at its best when eaten on a chilly night out of your favorite soup bowl. But it’s not bad for breakfast, either….
Beef Barley Soup
Prep Time: 20 minutes- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 12 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker, Microwave
Cuisine: American
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This easy recipe for slow cooker beef barley soup is not only hearty and delicious, but it makes enough for supper and leftovers and then some!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into bite sized pieces
- 5 cups water (see note)
- 4 packets beef boullion
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup pearl barley
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 5 carrots, chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine everything but carrots and parsley in slow cooker and stir to mix. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Just before serving, put carrots in microwave-safe dish with about 1/8 cup water. Microwave for 4 minutes. Add carrots to soup with parsley.
- Taste and adjust seasonings (I usually end up adding a bit more salt and pepper).
- Serve. And serve. And serve.
Notes
If you like, you can substitute 5 cups of beef broth for the water and the boullion.
Want to round out your meal? This recipe pairs well with...
Hi there! I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN! My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too. And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!
Oh, how I can relate! I love soup and my husband loves salad, so I try to please each of us seasonally. I can eat soup three meals a day. This one looks amazing. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I can't wait to try it!
Love the story!
I grew up with those bowls and just love them. The soup also sounds great, I can't wait to make it.
I was so excited to see the Peter Rabbit dish set while browsing Tastespotting! That really brings back memories! Soup looks delicious too!
I'm in love with the fact that this is made in the slowcooker…awesome!
Great photography! I just love slow cooker recipes, this was delicious thanks!
I want to try this soup, but what is meant by four packets of beef boullion? I have beef bouillon in cubes. Will that work and how much should I use? Four cubes?
Hi Connie — yes, a packet is equal to a cube, so four cubes should work just fine.
What kind of tomato sauce do you use?
I like the Muir Glen variety, but really any brand will do!
This looks wonderful! I made my first slow cooker soup of the season last week…its not too early!
I am going to give this a try. Due to health reasons, I am having to eat a lot more fresh dishes instead of processed as well as less meat. I love soup and this is an easy way to accomodate my health. I am going to make this "vegetarian" style and maybe about 15 minutes or 20 before dishing it up, I am going to add fresh sliced mushrooms.
I made a double batch of this wonderful soup and added two 16 oz. jars of my own canned tomatoes mushed up slightly in the pot. I used Swanson's Beef Broth, but used one container of the full-sodium and one container of the low-sodium.
can you cook the carrots along with everything else? I would like to make this even easier, and thought the carrots might also taste better if they absorbed the meat flavor
You could – they will get very soft that way, and you are right that they will also absorb the flavor of the soup more. I like my carrots a little firmer and carroty tasting, which is why I do them at the end, but they will definitely be fine if you add them with everything else!
THANK YOU so much for posting this recipe!!! I made it this morning and came home from work to a house that smelled divine! I on the other hand, do not have a drop left. I have 3 sons at home with BIG appetites. Have to make another batch to share with my mom and my father-in-law! Thanks again :)
Wow – how great to have a household who can finish the whole thing! Glad they loved it as much as I do. :)
Can you slow cook a whole roast with everything insteads of cutting it into bite size pieces then shred the meat after it cooks for the 10 hours? The reason I ask is my roast is usually frozen solid and I usually just toss it in the slow cooker before work and it cooks while I’m at work. I know I should take it out the night before, but I usually forget. So was wondering if I can do the same when making the soup?
Hi Barb,
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it should probably be fine since it is in the slow cooker for so long and all the moisture is trapped. It will probably be a bit of a job shredding it into the smaller sized pieces you need for soup, but I’m guessing the end result will be fine. If you try it, will you leave another comment telling us how it came out?
Could you explain to me why you put carrots in just at the end and don’t cook them all day in the crockpot with everything else?
sorry – found the answer on the carrots in the comments…..could you instead tell me what SIZE crockpot you used?
Hi Deb! I have a 6 quart crockpot. Hope you love the soup!
I’m making this recipe today and can’t wait until tonight when it’s done!!!
Made this today and had it tonight for dinner. It was absolutely delicious!!! Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe which is a real KEEPER!!!!
My pleasure – I’m so glad you love it as much as I do!
Found this recipe on Foodista a few days ago and decided to make it tonight since it’s a perfect cold weather meal. Absolutely delicious and so simple! I used an Angus chuck roast and though I’ve never made beef barley soup, I was surprised that the recipe did not call for browning the meat before adding to the crockpot.
So fabulous, I will definitely be making this again and again this winter. Perfect meal for suffering through this polar vortex!
Hurray, I’m so glad! And I think if ANYTHING can get us through the polar vortex it’s this soup. Brr!
This soup is cooking now and my house smells delicious. I am cooking my soup in my iron pot simmering for about 4 hours. I hope it turns out as I am still slow cooking. Have you ever cooked it this way
Hi Ginny! I’ve never cooked this soup on the stovetop, only in the slow cooker, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t turn out just fine! If you get a chance, come back and leave another comment telling us how it came out! :)
It turned out great.. I added some mushrooms (because I love mushrooms) really only took three hours to cook and the meat melted in your mouth as if I cooked in a crock pot. I must say I love my cast iron pot.
I’m so glad! I feel the same way about my cast iron skillet. So glad to know there is an alternate way to make my favorite soup! Happy New Year to you and yours. :)
Absolutely fabulous–made it last week but just added the carrots along with everything else (cause I’m lazy that way!) This recipe will be replacing my husband’s (fussy) family recipe of oxtail soup–so much better and easier! Thank you!!
Karen, I’m so glad! I think it is my all time favorite soup. Which is lucky, considering the quantity!
I’m so glad you like soup and give us lots of great recipes for the warm and cozies as meals! I would go the broth route instead of water/boullion combo (that may be where some of the other commenters are finding the extra salt) and maybe sub in about a cup of red wine for some of that broth. It works in my beef stew….so why not in beef barley soup? It’s the same meat, afterall. :) Then I can just use that 4-cup box of broth and not have to open another one for that other cup. It’s all about efficiency! ;) Cheers to you, Kate, and your easy, no-fuss soups!
I think the red wine idea is a great one – and yes, efficiency RULES! :) xoxo!