• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Quick & Easy
  • Freezer Meals
  • by Category
  • by Ingredient
  • Full Index
  • About

Slow Cooker Kitchen logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Quick & Easy
  • Freezer Meals
  • by Category
  • by Ingredient
  • Full Index
  • About
×

by Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen.com · December 9, 2016 · Updated: December 12, 2020

How to Make Amazing Beef & Barley Soup 4 Ways!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Beef and Barley Soup Crock Pot
Kid friendly, super easy beef with barley soup! With slow cooker, stovetop, pressure cooker, & freeze ahead directions!
Super easy, quick and tasty beef barley stew recipe! With slow cooker, skillet, pressure cooker, & freeze ahead directions!
Kid friendly, cheap and easy recipe beef barley soup! With slow cooker, stovetop, pressure cooker, & freezer meal directions!
Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup
Beef and Barley Slow Cooker Soup
Quick and simple, super tasty barley and beef soup! With slow cooker, skillet, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!

If you're looking for classically delicious comfort food...this is it!  Crock pot beef barley soup an awesome winter go-to.
Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup


Hubs has been after me to make this for a while now.  But I just couldn't do it.  It just didn't seem to be the "thing".  I am not sure why really.  I cook by mood, I guess.  I wasn't "in the mood" for it.  But I finally broke down and made it.  And I am SO glad I did 🙂

There is nothing much more comforting than coming into your house... after working all day and to smell this cooking.  I personally think this is a huge part of the terminology "comfort food".

Crockpot Beef Barley Soup

Warm, hearty deliciousness all ready to serve up as soon as you walk in the door.  Soooo very awesome!


In This Article (click headings to jump)

  • 1 Step-by-Step Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup Directions
    • 1.1  Printables & Pinnables
  • 2 Crock Pot Beef & Barley Soup
    • 2.1 Ingredients  1x2x3x
    • 2.2 Instructions 
      • 2.2.1 All Cooking Versions
      • 2.2.2 Crockpot Directions
      • 2.2.3 Instant Pot
      • 2.2.4 Stovetop
      • 2.2.5 Freezer Meal Directions
    • 2.3 More Delicious Crockpot Soups & Stews!
      • 2.3.1 Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
      • 2.3.2 Ranch Crockpot Beef Stew
      • 2.3.3 Ham & White Bean Slow Cooker Soup


Step-by-Step Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup Directions

Wanna know how easy this soup is to make?  Yeah...get this...wash, dice, dump, and cook.  That's pretty much it.  And the beauty of it?  I mean besides it being so easy and quick?  It's healthy.

Shhh.  Don't tell anyone.  They'll never know!

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

I bought a huge roast to make this and another recipe with.  But if you want to save time, stew meat is a great option.  You can even substitute frozen veggies for the fresh if you're in a super big hurry.

Quick Note:

If you're going to be working or out-and-about all day...adding the higher end of the beef stock amount would probably be best.  What I mean here is this...in the recipe I say 2 to 4 cups.  I'd add at least 3 cups if I was going to be out all day.  The barley is like any other grain (though this one is super high in protein...much higher than quinoa) and it'll absorb a LOT of liquid.

You don't want to come home excepting there to be a slow cooker full of warm, delicious comfort food waiting and find a burnt, nasty mess instead.  So adding a bit more liquid will keep that from happening.



 Printables & Pinnables

Here are the printable and pinnable versions for this recipe too!  Enjoy and Rock That Crock!

Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup

Crock Pot Beef & Barley Soup

Gwen
Warm, hearty and delicious! Crock Pot Beef & Barley Soup is classic comfort food that's healthy too! https://www.slowcookerkitchen.com/crock-pot-beef-barley-soup/
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 10 mins
Servings 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb(s) beef roast OR stew meat
  • 2 cup(s) carrots chopped OR use frozen OR use baby carrots
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cup(s) celery chopped
  • 1 cup(s) onions diced (optional)
  • 2 cup(s) vegetable juice
  • 2 to 4 cup(s) beef broth
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cup(s) regular barley
  • Water to desired consistency

Instructions
 

All Cooking Versions

  • Dice up your meat and carrots (if needed)
  • Optional step: Brown the beef and onions (it's yummy if you do...if you aren't sure how to check out Crockpot Ranch Beef Stew for the directions)

Crockpot Directions

  • Complete the "All Cooking Versions" steps
  • Toss everything in the crockpot and stir it up
  • Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours
  • Add more beef broth, vegetable juice, or water to get to your desired consistency.

Instant Pot

  • Do the "All Cooking Versions" above. You can use your saute function for about 5 minutes for step #2 if you want.
  • Stir well, close the lid, and vent.
  • Set to manual high and cook for 25 minutes. Quick-release and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Stir and serve.

Stovetop

  • Complete steps 1 and 2 from "all cooking versions"; in a large, deep skillet, over medium-high heat.
  • Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer 45-50 minutes.

Freezer Meal Directions

  • Complete steps 1 and 2 listed above; if you brown the meat, let it cool.
  • Then toss all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag, label, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Beef and Barley Soup Crock Pot Beef and Barley Slow Cooker Soup

More Delicious Crockpot Soups & Stews!

If you're needing more soup and stew ideas...check some of these out!

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup


Ranch Crockpot Beef Stew

crockpot-beef-stew-recipe


Ham & White Bean Slow Cooker Soup

Ham & Beans Soup

Beef and Barley Slow Cooker Soup
« Honey Garlic Crock Pot Brussel Sprouts
Crock Pot Hamburger Potato Casserole »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    December 27, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    I can't imagine making beef and barley soup without celery. The picture clearly shows celery; however, it is missing in the ingredients.

    Reply
    • gwen says

      December 29, 2016 at 5:48 am

      You are absolutely correct. Thanks for finding the error for me. I'll correct that asap.
      Have an awesome day 🙂

      Reply
  2. Ashley Eia says

    June 01, 2017 at 11:59 am

    I put this in the crock pot last night, it smelled good early this morning. But when I went to check on it and tried a bit, there was no flavor at all. It was a little disappointing. I don't know what I did wrong.

    Reply
    • gwen says

      June 05, 2017 at 7:54 am

      Sometimes it simply depends on the quality of the products used. I've bought meats that did this and I have no idea why either. I am guessing it was the quality of the meat purchased. Not that you did anything wrong. Sometimes you just get a bad cut 🙁 I'm very sorry it didn't come out as you'd wanted.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen
Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen.com

Hi! I'm Gwen. And I have a confession to make. I now own 11 slow cookers & 4 pressure cookers. What started out as a necessity, turned into a mild obsession. And then into Slow Cooker Kitchen.
The goal for this site started out as quick & easy cooking. Then healthier and from-scratch options got added. And now it's evolved into freezer meal cooking too. Who knows what's next. Come join me on this slightly crazed crockpot-pressure cooker journey.

Our Newest Offerings

Simple 3 Envelope Pot Roast 2

3 Packet Crock Pot Pot Roast with Gravy

Mongolian Beef ready to serve

Copycat PF Chang's Mongolian Beef Slow Cooker Recipe [Crockpot, Instant Pot, Skillet & Freezer Recipes]

Budget friendly, quick and tasty slow cooker taco meat! With crockpot, oven-baked, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!

How to Make Slow Cooker Ground Beef Tacos [Crock Pot, Instant Pot, Stovetop & Freezer Meal Directions]

Deliciously easy, kid approved homemade chicken taquitos! With slow cooker, oven-baked, instant pot, & freezer meal directions!

Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Taquitos [Easy Instant Pot, Crockpot, Freezer & Oven Baked Directions]

Simple and tasty, deliciously easy mississippi pot roast sandwiches! With crockpot, oven-baked, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!

Simple, Sanity-Saving Mississippi Pot Roast Dinner - Easy Weeknight Meal in Your Oven, Instant Pot or Crockpot + Freezer Meal

Cheap and easy, quick and tasty scalloped potatoes and ham in slow cooker! With slow cooker, oven-baked, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!

Amazingly Easy Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham [Pressure Cooker, Oven-Baked, Freezer, Crockpot Directions]

Affiliate Disclosure

Slow Cooker Kitchen/AmaZanZo LLC/Gwen Jones is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Purchasing through our links will in no way increase your price, we just receive a small commission.

Footer

Hi! I'm Gwen. And I have a confession to make. I now own 11 slow cookers & 4 pressure cookers. What started out as a necessity, turned into a mild obsession. And then into Slow Cooker Kitchen.
The goal for this site started out as quick & easy cooking. Then healthier and from-scratch options got added. And now it's evolved into freezer meal cooking too. Who knows what's next. Come join me on this slightly crazed crockpot-pressure cooker journey. Read More…

My Favorites

Simple 3 Envelope Pot Roast 2
Mongolian Beef ready to serve
Budget friendly, quick and tasty slow cooker taco meat! With crockpot, oven-baked, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!
Deliciously easy, kid approved homemade chicken taquitos! With slow cooker, oven-baked, instant pot, & freezer meal directions!
Simple and tasty, deliciously easy mississippi pot roast sandwiches! With crockpot, oven-baked, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!
Cheap and easy, quick and tasty scalloped potatoes and ham in slow cooker! With slow cooker, oven-baked, pressure cooker, & freezer friendly directions!
  • Contact
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • More Legal Stuff
  • Blog Hops

Copyright © 2023 Slow Cooker Kitchen on the Brunch Pro Theme