Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
Tender chunks of beef chuck, chewy pearl barley, and a broth that thickens on its own as the barley releases its starch make this slow cooker beef barley soup a cozy, hands-off dinner that only gets better the next day.
Equipment
- 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker - Large enough to hold all the liquid and vegetables comfortably
- Large skillet or Dutch oven - For searing the beef before it goes into the slow cooker
- Chef's knife - For cubing the beef and prepping vegetables
- Cutting board - Ideally a large one to catch the beef cubes
- Fine-mesh strainer - For rinsing the barley before it goes in
- Soup Ladle - For serving cleanly
- Crock-Pot Programmable Slow Cooker - Recommended product - switches to warm automatically after 8 hours
- Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley - Recommended product - fresh, well-sealed bag for tender-but-toothsome grain
- Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base - Recommended product - rescues thin store-bought broth
- Cast iron skillet - Recommended product - holds heat for a proper sear
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck roast - 900 g, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes; chuck has enough marbling to stay moist over a long cook
- 2 tbsp olive oil - 30 ml, for searing the beef
- 1 large yellow onion - diced
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch (6 mm) rounds
- 3 stalks celery - sliced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms - 225 g, sliced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste - 45 g, for depth and a subtle richness
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce - 15 ml, for savory backbone
- 8 cups beef broth - 1.9 L, the base of the soup
- 1 cup pearl barley - 200 g, rinsed; this is the star that thickens the broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt - plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley - 8 g, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the cubed chuck dry with paper towels, then season all over with salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes while you heat your pan.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the beef in a single layer in two batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer to the slow cooker insert.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the diced onion to the same pan, scraping up the browned bits. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened, then stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 more minute until the paste darkens slightly.
- Add the sliced carrots, celery, and cremini mushrooms to the slow cooker insert with the beef. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, then add the bay leaves and dried thyme and stir gently to combine.
- Rinse the pearl barley in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water, then stir it into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours, or on High for about 4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the barley is plump.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed, then ladle into bowls and top each with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- Do not skip the sear. Browning the beef builds the savory foundation; dumping raw meat straight into the cooker leaves the broth tasting washed out.
- Rinse the barley. A quick rinse removes surface starch and dust, which keeps the broth from turning cloudy or gummy.
- Use pearl barley, not quick-cooking. Quick barley turns to mush over 8 hours, while pearl barley holds its shape and stays pleasantly chewy.
- Watch the liquid. Barley can absorb several cups of broth as it sits, so keep extra broth on hand to loosen the soup before serving and again for leftovers.
- Trim excess fat. Leave some marbling for flavor, but cut away thick fat caps so the broth does not turn greasy.
- Salt at the end. Store-bought broth varies in saltiness, so wait until the barley has cooked before doing your final seasoning.
- Deglaze the searing pan. Those browned bits stuck to the bottom carry a lot of flavor, so scraping them into the cooker is worth the extra minute.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Make-ahead tip: If you plan to freeze the batch, slightly undercook the barley so it does not turn soft after reheating.
- Variations: Double the mushrooms and add dried porcini for a deeper broth, add a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes for a brighter soup, or swap barley for brown rice for a gluten-free option.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 27gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3.5gSodium: 780mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5g
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