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    Framed Cooks ยป Recipes ยป Soup

    Slow Cooker Beef Soup

    Published: Jan 9, 2025 ยท Modified: Jan 19, 2025 by Kate Morgan Jackson ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This fix and forget it slow cooker beef soup has a crispy bacon topping for a delectable combination of flavors. The perfect cold weather lunch or supper!

    Beef Bacon soup in a bowl with a spoon.
    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • Ingredients you need
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions
    • Hereโ€™s how to make this recipe
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Equipment we used for this recipe
    • What to serve with this recipe
    • Other slow cooker soup recipes we love!
    • We want to know what you think! ๐Ÿค”
    • Slow Cooker Beef Soup

    Why this recipe works

    There is nothing like tossing a bunch of ingredients into your slow cooker, going about your day and then realizing 8 hours later than supper is pretty much done!

    Possibly the only thing better than that is when those ingredients turn into a thick and hearty beef soup, full of veggies, barley and tender bite-sized pieces of beef.

    AND, to make things even more delicious, this recipe calls for your bowl of delectable soup to be topped with crispy pieces of bacon. THE BEST.

    Ingredients you need

    Beef Soup ingredients.

    Ingredient notes and substitutions

    • Beef: We recommend a chuck roast for this recipe. It is sometimes labeled “pot roast” and you can find it in with the steaks at your grocery store.
    • Barley: Barley is a delicious whole grain packed with fiber and vitamins, and it is perfect for adding some texture and flavor to soups and stews. You can find it in the rice aisle of your supermarket…we recommend pearled barley.
    • Gravy: We recommend a jarred gravy for this recipe (we think the flavor is better), but you can use any type of beef gravy that you like.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

    Here’s how to make this recipe

    Chopped vegetables in a food processor.

    STEP 1: Whirl up some carrots and a sweet onion in your handy food processor until they are finely chopped.

    Vegetable and barley mixture in a slow cooker.

    STEP 2: Transfer them to your slow cooker and top with some barley.

    Beef bacon soup ingredients in the slow cooker.

    STEP 3: Put some chopped beef chuck roast on top of the barley.

    Beef broth and gravy mixture in a measuring cup.

    STEP 4: Mix up some beef broth, canned diced tomatoes with their juices and beef gravy (a-ok to use the kind from the jar) until it is all combined and then pour that into the slow cooker.

    Beef bacon soup ready to be cooked in the slow cooker.

    STEP 5: Give everything a good stir and then put the top on, set your slow cooker to the low setting and let your wonderful soup cook for 8 hours. Take a nap. 😴

    Cooked beef bacon soup in a slow cooker.

    STEP 6: When the soup is ready, cook up a pile of chopped bacon in a medium skillet until it is done the way you like it. At this point you can either stir the bacon into the soup or use it as a garnish for individual bowls!

    Beef barley soup in a bowl.

    STEP 8: Ladle it into bowls and serve it up!

    Recipe FAQs

    Are there any other kinds of beef I can use?

    Chuck roast is always our first choice for this recipe, but you can use brisket, round roast, or that beef that comes pre-chopped and is usually labeled beef stew meat (that is usually chuck roast and you will want to cut it into smaller soup-sized pieces).

    What are the different kinds of barley?

    There are all different kinds, but the two you are most likely to find are pearled barley and hulled barley. The main difference between hulled barley and pearl barley is that hulled barley only has the outer husk taken off. Pearled barley has both the husk and the bran layer taken off, so it cooks faster and has a gentler flavor. We like pearled barkey for this recipe, which you can find in the rice aisle of your supermarket.

    Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

    Yep! And not only that, it’s even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to deepen. It will last up to a week in your fridge – you can freeze it for several months as well.

    Have a question that I didn’t answer?

    Leave me your question in the comments and I will get back to you pronto!

    Equipment we used for this recipe

    These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!

    • Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
    • Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
    • Food Processor: This all-star kitchen appliance is one of the very few that gets to live on our countertop 24/7.
    • Slow Cooker: This simple appliance is simply perfect for soups, stews and even a brownie cake! 

    What to serve with this recipe

    We love any kind of biscuit or bread with this hearty soup!

    • Cream cheese Stuffed Biscuits on a cooling rack.
      Cream Cheese Stuffed Biscuits
    • Irish Brown Bread on a dishcloth.
      Irish Brown Bread
    • Butter biscuits in a basket.
      Butter Biscuits
    • A loaf of almost no knead bread.
      Almost No Knead Bread

    Other slow cooker soup recipes we love!

    • Chicken tortilla soup in a bowl.
      Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
    • Easy Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon Soup
      Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon Soup
    • Bowl of slow cooker chicken barley soup on a wooden counter.
      Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup
    • slow cooker chicken tortellini soup
      Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup

    We want to know what you think! 🤔

    If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.

    Print

    Slow Cooker Beef Soup

    Beef Bacon soup in a bowl with a spoon.
    Print Recipe
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    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    Try this delicious slow cooker beef soup recipe with a crispy bacon topping. Perfect for a comforting meal on a cold day.

    • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 8 hours
    • Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings
    • Category: Lunch
    • Method: Slow Cooker
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
    • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 1/4 cup pearled barley
    • 1–1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    • 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
    • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with their juices
    • 1 jar (12 ounces) beef gravy
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 6 strips of bacon (regular or thick-cut), cut into one inch pieces

    Instructions

    1. Whirl the onions and carrots in a food processor until they are finely chopped.  Put them in your slow cooker and pour the barley over them.
    2. Put the beef on top of the barley.
    3. Mix up the broth, tomatoes, gravy and pepper and pour it over the beef.  Give everything a good stir.
    4. Cover your cooker and cook the soup for 8 hours on low.
    5. When you are ready to serve it, cook up the bacon and either stir it into the cooked soup or use it as a garnish!

    Notes

      • Beef: We recommend a chuck roast for this recipe. It is sometimes labeled “pot roast” and you can find it in with the steaks at your grocery store.

      • Barley: Barley is a delicious whole grain packed with fiber and vitamins, and it is perfect for adding some texture and flavor to soups and stews. You can find it in the rice aisle of your supermarket.

      • Gravy: We recommend a jarred gravy for this recipe (we think the flavor is better), but you can use any type of beef gravy that you like.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag @FramedCooks on Facebook or Instagram…we want to see it!

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    Comments

    1. Rory says

      January 10, 2025 at 4:26 pm

      The best winter soup recipe!! It is 0 effort and 100% delicious!

      Reply
      • Kate Morgan Jackson says

        January 13, 2025 at 2:57 pm

        Thank you Rory! Glad you love this one as much as we do!

        Reply

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    Kate from Framed Cooks

    Hi, Iโ€™m Kate! Iโ€™m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™re here!

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