Beef Barley Soup

This Beef Barley Soup is an easy, hearty dinner idea that is loaded with tender chunks of beef, barley and vegetables. It’s a healthy meal that is perfect for making ahead for a busy week! With fall coming and school back in session (or getting close!), we’re loving all the cozy, healthy soups! If you are too, you might enjoy this Crockpot Taco Soup, this Creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup or this Egg Drop Soup!

Beef Barley Soup

This Beef Barley Soup is really one of the best, heartiest meals for fall, winter or just a chilly summer day. It’s thick and rich and loaded with flavor, thanks to those browned chunks of beef and tender vegetables. It’s also an easy recipe to customize, and swap out my vegetables for your favorites or almost anything you have on hand that you need to get out of the fridge. The flavors of the vegetables and the beef simmer together to give the broth the most incredible flavor — perfect for dunking that crusty bread! — so the more vegetables you throw in, the more flavor it will have!

How to make Beef Barley Soup:

Which type of barley is best for soup?

Pearl barley is my preferred type of barley for this soup, as it is hearty and less processed than quick cooking barley, but it doesn’t take nearly as long to cook as hulled barley. Pearl barley and quick cooking barley are the two types you’ll generally find on your grocery store shelves, and either will work in this recipe but they have different cook times. Pearl barley cooks for 25-35 minutes, and quick cooking barley can be ready in 10-15 minutes. I like the longer simmering time for this soup, as it allows the flavors to come together.

Looking for more easy soup recipes? Try these:

Classic Italian Wedding Soup Chicken Rice Soup Sausage Tortellini Soup Green Chile Enchilada Soup

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.