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Beef Barley Soup
Melissa Hart

Beef Barley Soup

Chuck softens into spoon-size pieces while pearl barley gives the broth enough body to count as lunch. Sear the beef hard before loading the crock. This soup freezes well, though the barley keeps absorbing broth, so plan on adding a splash during reheating.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs boneless beef chuck cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups sliced carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced celery
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Method
 

  1. Season the beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper and blot it dry.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in 2 batches for 4 minutes per batch.
  3. Transfer the beef to a 6-quart crockpot and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, barley, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves and remaining salt.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the beef is fork-tender and at least 145°F and the barley is soft.
  5. Discard the bay leaves and add up to 1 cup hot water if the barley has made the soup thicker than a loose stew.