Description
This Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup is a hearty and comforting dish perfect for chilly days. Tender beef stewing meat is browned and slow-cooked with pearl barley, carrots, celery, and aromatic seasonings in a rich low-sodium beef broth. The long, slow cooking process melds all the flavors perfectly while making the beef tender and the barley plump. Finished with fresh parsley, this soup is warming, nutritious, and requires minimal hands-on prep, perfect for an easy, cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat & Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 lb beef stewing meat
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Vegetables & Grains
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup pearl or pot barley, rinsed
Seasonings & Broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
Garnish
- Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and let it heat for about 1 minute until shimmering.
- Brown the beef: Brown the beef stewing meat in batches, making sure to leave space around each piece for proper searing. Cook on medium-high heat until browned on all sides, then transfer the beef to a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
- Sauté onions and garlic: Add the finely diced onions to the same pan and cook over medium heat until translucent, scraping up all the browned bits from the beef for added flavor. Stir in minced garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper and cook for 1 more minute.
- Combine ingredients in slow cooker: Transfer the sautéed onion and garlic mixture to the slow cooker on top of the beef. Add the chopped carrots, celery, rinsed barley, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Stir everything well, then pour in the low sodium beef broth and stir again to combine evenly.
- Cook the soup: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the vegetables and barley are tender and the beef is fully cooked.
- Finish and serve: Stir in fresh parsley as desired, adjust seasoning to taste, and ladle the soup into bowls to serve warm.
Notes
- This soup makes a perfect hearty meal for cold weather, full of nutritious veggies and tender beef.
- The slow cooker ensures the beef becomes incredibly tender while the barley adds a satisfying texture.
- Use low sodium broth to control the saltiness and allow adjusting seasoning at the end.
- For extra flavor, you can deglaze the sauté pan with a splash of red wine or beef broth before adding onions.
- Leftovers store well and taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 338
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1200 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
