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Beef Barley Soup

November 2, 2017

6 Comments

5 from 2 votes

Spoon-tender beef barley soup — like your grandma used to make. 🙂 Beef Barley Soup - 2teaspoons Tap any photo to Pin

This was my favorite soup growing up. My Nana (my mom’s mom)  used to make a rendition of this soup when we would visit her for Sunday dinner. This soup was (at my request) always the appetizer. Years later, my  mom made a slightly modified version for us. The version below is my own modifications of my mom’s version — I added the mushrooms and shredded potatoes.

I think the part of this soup I love the most is the barley. It has such a great texture that’s so different than the usual noodle textures found in most soups. It can be bit hard to find — be sure to check the bulk section of your grocery store. People have been eating barley for over 10,000 years; lets keep that tradition going 🙂

Beef Barley Soup - 2teaspoons

And the beef is so tender! I was able to find a chuck roast (on sale, even!) already cut into chunks for this recipe. I wanted to the make the chunks a bit more bite-size, so once they were cooked and tender, I pulled the big chunks out of the soup and shredded them by hand. You also might be able to shred them in the pot using a fork — if you try that method let me know how it goes!

Although I live too far from my mom to continue the Sunday dinner tradition, I continue making this soup for my family. The version of the recipe below has been distilled through three generations — enjoy!

Beef Barley Soup - 2teaspoons


Beef Barley Soup

5 from 2 votes
Spoon-tender beef barley soup -- like your grandma used to make.
Servings 6 -8 servings
Author 2teaspoons

Ingredients

  • 1.5-2 lb beef chuck roast cut into chunks or stew beef
  • salt & pepper
  • 4 tablespoons oil divided
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups diced carrots ~1 lb
  • 2 cups diced mushrooms 8-10 oz by weight
  • 10 cups beef broth*
  • 2 large potatoes diced or shredded (~1/2 lb)
  • 1 cup barley

Instructions

  1. Salt and pepper beef on all sides
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil on med-high heat in soup pot or dutch oven.
  3. Sear meat on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
  4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot.
  5. Add celery, onion, carrots, mushrooms and cook until golden brown and soft, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.
  6. Add meat and broth to pot, bring to boil, and simmer on low covered, until beef is fork tender, about 2 hours.
  7. Shred beef into bite-size pieces. I prefer to remove the beef and shred it on a plate. Return beef to pot.
  8. Add potatoes to pot and continue simmering, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
  9. Add barley to pot and simmer, covered, until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes.
  10. Enjoy 🙂

Recipe Notes

*I used 10 cups water and 4 tablespoons Better then Bullion Beef Base


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Recipe Rating





  1. Avatar for Adela

    Adela

    5 stars
    This looks delish! Thanks for sharing 😉


  2. Avatar for Sheila

    Sheila

    This is interesting and looks really good. Luckily, I have all the ingredients available so, I am making this tonight. Thank you for saving me the hassle of thinking what to prepare for dinner. Wish me luck.


    • Avatar for Karen

      Karen

      Hi Sheila, it really is a tasty soup — I hope you enjoy it. Good luck!


  3. Avatar for Wilkins

    Wilkins

    5 stars
    That looks so good! I’m making this tomorrow! Bet my family will enjoy it.


    • Avatar for Karen

      Karen

      Thanks Wilkins! I hope you and your family enjoy the recipe 🙂


Hi! I'm Karen, the recipe creator, photographer, and food fanatic here at 2Teaspoons. I love delicious food and I love sharing it with great people like you. Welcome to my dinner table, pull up a chair! Read More… →



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