Description
This is the ultimate hearty slow cooker beef barley soup. You get tender beef, chewy barley, and rich vegetable flavor cooked easily in your Crockpot. It is a cozy, comforting meal perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until well-browned on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Transfer the vegetables, seared beef, rinsed barley, beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf to the slow cooker.
- Stir everything together gently.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 3.5 to 4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the barley is cooked through.
- Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Rinsing the barley helps remove excess starch, preventing the soup from becoming overly thick.
- Searing the beef first builds a deep flavor base (fond) that water alone cannot achieve.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water and stir it in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 85mg