Crockpot Beef Barley Soup

Growing up, I was obsessed with Campbell’s vegetable beef with barley soup. This crockpot beef barley soup tastes just as yummy, maybe even better, than that childhood favorite.

This crockpot beef barley soup recipe is the ultimate fall comfort food, especially on the first cold weekend of fall. The aroma of beef broth, herbs, and veggies will have everyone gravitating to your kitchen.

It’s my favorite easy beef barley soup recipe to make in my slow cooker.

The Set-It-and-Forget-It Dinner

This soup has such rich, flavorful, hearty, satisfying, homemade, better-than-Campbell’s canned soup flavor that it’s hard to believe it’s such an easy soup to make. The ingredients come together beautifully in my crockpot making this recipe a tried-and-true family favorite.

It’s perfect for busy days. This beef barley soup only takes about 6 minutes to prepare and 8 hours to cook.

This beef barley soup recipe is super easy to make. Add everything into your slow cooker.

Enjoy! This soup is somewhere between a soup and a stew.

The beef comes out super tender and flavorful. You’ll be amazed how good this easy beef barley soup tastes.

There will be enough leftovers to bring for lunch for several days.

The Ingredient That Does All the Heavy Lifting

1.5 lbs stew meat, Stew meat from the meat case at the grocery store doesn’t need to be trimmed and will save you some time, just chop them into 1” pieces if necessary. I like stew meat because it’s prepped for me and ready to go.

However, to save money, chuck roast, which is usually less per pound, can be cubed for this recipe. Browning the stew meat is optional and will take about 10 more minutes, but will add flavor.

Heat up 1 Tbsp. of oil over high heat in a skillet and cook the meat for about 1-2 minutes on each side.

3/4 cup pearl barley

NOTE ON BARLEY: Make sure you’re getting MEDIUM or REGULAR PEARL BARLEY and not “quick barley.” Quick barley will cook down and get very mushy, while medium/regular barley will retain its chew and body. Barley will release some of its own starches and will help thicken your soup, saving you some work.

Also, barley expands quite a bit so don’t worry about only using a half-cup. After sitting in liquid for 8 hours it’ll be a lot.

Beef broth (2 cans) + water

NOTE ON BROTH: If using LOW-SODIUM beef broth, you’ll likely need to add some salt. If using REGULAR beef broth, go easy on the salt and see if it needs more before serving.

Dried thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper

NOTE ON SEASONING: 1 teaspoon each thyme and marjoram is enough to make the beef barley soup fragrant and savory. Thyme and marjoram aren’t strong, distinct flavors in beef barley soup, they are a hint in the background.

Season with pepper and salt to taste.

Mixed vegetables added at the end

30 minutes before serving, add frozen veggies. If using fresh diced carrots and celery instead of frozen mixed vegetables, add them about an hour before serving so they will soften.

Frozen veggies will become mushy and unpleasant if cooked for more than 30 minutes and fresh diced carrots/celery won’t cook down enough in only 30 minutes.

Optional Ingredient Notes

• I think the meat tastes best after being browned but it’s not required. If you do brown the meat, don’t wash out your crockpot. Just scrape the browned bits into your pot. It’s more flavor.
• The barley thickens the soup for you. No need to add cornstarch, flour, or other thickening agents.
• I think this soup tastes even better the next day.

How to Make Crockpot Beef Barley Soup

Beef barley soup is an incredibly easy way to use the crockpot and it’s hearty and delicious. Here’s how to make it.

Combine all ingredients (except mixed vegetables) in a crockpot that is 4 quarts or larger, stirring just once. Cover and cook on LOW for 7.5-8 hours; the soup will seem thin at first, but will thicken later on.

Soup is done when barley is nice and puffy (and cloudy, not pearlescent looking) and tender, and when meat shreds when pulled apart with two forks. It’ll smell super good too.

Serve hot and enjoy.

Add the mixed vegetables to the crockpot 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat. Increase heat setting to HIGH for the last 30 minutes.

The veggies should be brightly colored and hold their shape. If they are getting grayish or falling apart, remove them sooner.

Season with more salt if needed. It will most likely need a bit of salt.

The barley soaks up a lot of salt while cooking. This is especially true when you use a low-sodium broth.

Add black pepper for a spicy kick.

Bread and a Bowl: How to Serve It

Crockpot beef barley soup is delicious with some crusty french bread, some fresh-baked dinner rolls, though store-bought is fine as they only take 5 minutes to heat through, or toast with butter. A side salad is another great accompaniment.

Spoonfuls of sour cream is another way to serve beef barley soup. Or go old fashioned and drop a thick slice of toasted sourdough into the bottom of your bowl for a hearty, satisfying meal, because trust me, the bread will soak up the soup.

Leftovers and Storage

Beef barley soup will last 4 days stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

It Gets Better Overnight

Beef barley soup tastes even better the next day. Like most soups and stews, beef barley soup really shines on day #2.

Just keep in mind that barley will continue to soak up liquid. It may be thicker when you pull it out of the fridge.

Add a splash of beef broth or water while reheating to thin it back to soupy consistency. To reheat, place the beef barley soup into a pot and warm on the stove-top on medium-low until heated.

Alternatively, reheat in the microwave in 90 second increments until heated.

Crockpot Beef Barley Soup can be frozen for 3 months. Allow about an inch of headspace when filling airtight storage containers with soup.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before heating on the stove or reheat from frozen on the stove-top over low heat until soup is heated.

Crockpot Beef Barley Soup FAQ

Can I use quick barley?

Quick barley will become mushy because it cooks and breaks down much faster than pearl barley. Use medium pearl barley which holds its chewy texture even after simmering for 8 hours.

Hulled barley will hold its shape even better than pearl barley, but takes longer to cook and becomes tender later.

Why is my soup too thick?

Barley will continue to soak up liquid, so the soup will be a little thicker on day 2 than day 1. Simply thin it back to your preferred consistency with an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of broth or water.

Can I add other vegetables?

Absolutely. Just keep in mind that hearty vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, and turnips should be added to the soup at least 90 minutes before the recipe is done cooking, and more tender veggies like kale, peas, and corn should be added within the last 30 minutes.

Can I make this on the stovetop?

You can! It will go considerably faster that way.

Brown the meat as directed, add the remaining ingredients except the vegetables, bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding vegetables during the last 15 minutes. Note, it will not be nearly as tender as the version that’s cooked slowly, but it’s still delicious!

Four Variations That Use the Same Slow Cook

Beef and mushroom barley soup: Add 8 ounces of sliced cremini or button mushrooms along with all of the other ingredients.

Italian barley soup: Add one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (undrained) and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning at the beginning, one cup of chopped fresh spinach along with the veggies, and serve with a little freshly grated Parmesan.

Barley beef stew: Reduce the amount of broth to 1 can (no additional water). Add 1/4 cup of tomato paste, 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, one diced potato and two chopped carrots along with everything else.

Vegetarian barley soup: Omit the beef, use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth, and add the following veggies: 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, two chopped carrots, two celery sticks, one chopped onion. Add a 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained, at the end.

Other Soups That Do the Same Work

Want more hearty one-pot ideas? Here are a few of our readers’ favorites:

• White Bean Turkey Chili
• Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
• Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos