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Beef and barley soup

Beef and barley soup, a still from its video, with the channel name and the recipe title in text across it

By Tom · Updated

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  • About 2 hours
  • Easy

Warm up with this beef and barley soup recipe. Made with tender beef, wholesome pearl barley, fresh vegetables, and rich savoury broth, this soup is comfort food for cold days. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, meal prep, or family gathering, this hearty dish will quickly become one of your favourites.

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The recipe

Beef and barley soup

Warm up with this beef and barley soup recipe. Made with tender beef, wholesome pearl barley, fresh vegetables, and rich savoury broth.

  • 15 min prep
  • 1 hour 40 min cooking
  • 5 min hands-off
  • Easy

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Quantities
Measurements

Ingredients

(serves 6-8)

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1: Cook the bacon

    In a heavy pot, fry the chopped bacon until it renders its fat and turns golden. Once done, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

  2. Step 2: Brown the beef

    In the same pot, add extra butter or beef dripping (10 g) if needed, along with the bacon fat. Brown the beef pieces until they are nicely seared. After browning, remove the beef from the pan.

  3. Step 3: Soften the vegetables

    Now, add the onions (200 g), leeks, and celery (if using) along with the carrots (300 g). Cook this mixture for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.

  4. Step 4: Add barley and stock

    Stir in the rinsed barley (200 g). Then, add the bacon and beef (2 l) back into the pot. Pour over the stock, and toss in the bay leaves (2 leaves) and thyme (5 g). Let it simmer gently for 1 hour. This is where the magic happens.

  5. Step 5: Add root vegetables

    After an hour, stir in the diced (450 g) potatoes. Continue simmering for another 30-40 minutes until the beef (2 l), barley (200 g), and vegetables are tender.

  6. Step 6: Finish up

    Remove the bay leaves (2 leaves) from the pot. Season with freshly ground black pepper and taste before adding salt, as the bacon already contributes some saltiness. Stir in the fresh parsley (10 g) for a pop of colour and flavour. If you like, garnish with the reserved crispy bacon for an extra treat.

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More beef lunches

Questions people ask

How long does beef and barley soup take?

About 2 hours from start to finish: 15 min of prep, 1 hour 40 min of cooking, and 5 min hands-off while it waits. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How much does this make?

The original recipe did not state a yield, so nothing has been invented for it. The scale control on the recipe card multiplies the quantities instead, which is the honest version of the same thing.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Can I cook it ahead?

This one sits in the batch cooking group, which means it was picked for cooking in quantity rather than eaten straight from the pan. Cool it quickly, and freeze it in the portion sizes you will actually want later.