Beef Barley Soup
A hearty one-pot soup packed with tender beef, plump pearl barley, and a full pot of nutritious vegetables, simmered in a rich Worcestershire-and-gravy-spiked broth. A complete meal in a bowl.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 rib celery, sliced
- 2 cups cooked beef
- 6 cups reduced sodium beef broth
- 14.5 ounces (1 can) petite diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 2/3 cup pearl barley
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 packet beef gravy mix
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons red wine, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns soft and translucent — this base layer of softened aromatics is what gives the whole pot its foundation of flavor.
- Add every remaining ingredient to the pot — the carrots, celery, cooked beef, beef broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, bell pepper, pearl barley, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, gravy mix, bay leaf, red wine if using, and parsley. Bring everything up to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 40 to 50 minutes, until the pearl barley is fully tender and has plumped up. Give it an occasional stir to make sure nothing catches on the bottom of the pot as the barley absorbs liquid.
- Fish out and discard the bay leaf, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper before ladling into bowls to serve.
Chef's Note: This is the kind of soup built for using up what you already have — leftover roast beef, pot roast, or even deli roast beef all work well for the "2 cups cooked beef" here, so there's no need to cook a fresh cut of meat just for this pot. The gravy mix packet is doing more work than its small size suggests, thickening the broth just enough and rounding out the beefy flavor alongside the Worcestershire sauce.
Barley keeps absorbing liquid even after the pot comes off the heat, so don't be surprised if this soup thickens up noticeably once it cools or sits in the fridge overnight. Simply stir in a splash of extra broth or water when reheating leftovers to loosen it back up to your preferred consistency.
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