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Hearty Beef and Barley Soup

It's worth the time to sear the beef in batches; you get a good crust on each piece that way. Pearl barley takes a while to get tender, but the texture is worth the wait.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion ~1.5 cups, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 10 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 2/3 cup pearl barley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp kosher salt to start
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Pat beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper.
  • Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Sear beef in batches until deeply browned; remove and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium; cook onion, carrots, and mushrooms 8-10 minutes until softened.
  • Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Return beef to pot; add broth and scrape up browned bits.
  • Add barley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
  • Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1.5-2 hours until beef is tender.
  • Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Ensure beef is patted completely dry for best searing results.