This Beef with Barley Soup is easy, economical, and best of all, utterly delicious! Here’s a soup recipe you’ll want to keep around for those chilly days.
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Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup
Y’all…
We have had this beef, bean, and barley soup three times in the last two weeks. The first time I made it, Brian told me he could eat it every day – he liked it that much! It’s definitely becoming a staple at my house.
Of course, it took a while to really perfect this recipe. The first time I made beef with barley soup, I didn’t add the beef or tomatoes, it felt like something was missing. Yes, I thought maybe the soup would still work well without meat! I guess it was more of a barley soup. And it still tasted wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but it definitely needed more.
The second time, I re-added the beef, but it still felt like it needed something else. So the third time I added tomatoes, too. Absolutely delish.
Let me share that perfected recipe with you today!
Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup: Ingredients & Equipment
For this Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup recipe, you’ll need …
Ingredients
- olive oil, water, beef broth – the base of your soup. You can use homemade stock or store-bought. Whichever is easier for you!
- pearl barley – if you’ve ever wondered, barley is a type of grain that’s high in fiber. It looks a little like rice and has a similar texture, so it’s a great filler in soups. On top of that, it has a beautiful, subtly nutty flavor that works wonderfully in this recipe. Yum!
- beef stew meat – you’ll want the lovely texture of melt-in-your-mouth beef for this one.
- onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomatoes – a good Beef Barley Soup is chock full of veggies, of course.
- black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans – while it isn’t fully necessary, I like using all three of these beans to really add texture and flavor to the soup.
- chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt – your spices. If you’ve made any of my other hearty soups, you’re probably familiar with many of these. They’re my go-to!
Equipment
- For this recipe, you’ll only need a Dutch oven or soup pot to make your soup. So simple!
Dietary note
You could easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the beef and switching to veggie broth. Also, seasoned gluten-free eaters know this well, but for those new to gluten-free eating, keep in mind that barley is a lesser-known grain that does contain gluten. As always, know your ingredients well!
Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup: FAQs
About 8 bowls, give or take. Perfect for everyone in your family to have seconds on a cold afternoon.
This recipe requires 20 minutes of prep time and requires a little under 3 hours to cook. I will admit, it isn’t a fast recipe. However, most of that time isn’t “active” – you’ll only have to stir the soup every so often. So, it’s still very easy to make!
Absolutely. I’ve seen people use steak or roast beef, or leftover beef from the previous night’s dinner. It always feels better when you don’t have to waste food, right?
Yes. It’ll last for 3 months in the freezer as long as you use an airtight container.
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Southwestern Beef Bean & Barley Soup
Y'all, we have had this Southwest Beef Bean & Barley Soup THREE times in the last two weeks. The first time I made it, Brian told me he could eat it every day - he liked it that much! This soup is a winner .... tried and true!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, chopped into small pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 9 cups water
- 4 cups (one 32 oz. carton) reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1/3 cup dried black beans
- 1/3 cup dried great northern beans
- 1/3 cup dried kidney beans
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite-diced tomatoes
- Sour cream and green onions, optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the water, broth, barley, all of the beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring just to a lively simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Add more water as necessary or if desired. Add the salt and tomatoes. Continue to cook an additional 30-45 minutes or until the beans are tender.
- Top individual bowls with sour cream and green onions, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 759mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4gProtein: 25g
Originally published on February 17, 2014. Updated on April 25, 2021.
How do you think this recipe would work in crock pot?? Sounds awesome (probably minus the beef! lol)
Although I have never tried it, I imagine it would work ok 🙂 Just take into account that the beans will need to cook for awhile in the crockpot and adjust your time accordingly! I would love to hear how it turns out if you do it in the crock pot!
This looks delicious!
This looks like a really hearty soup. Great for all the up and down weather that we have been having.
LOVE beef and barley soup. I'm definitely going to have to give this a try.
Jamie, love your soup – and your pics are fab! Cheers from Carole of Carole's Chatter
This looks so delicious! Pinned!
On the to make list! Thanks for sharing and when I make it, I'll link back to you when I make it.
This looks so hearty and flavorful, Jamie. It's the kind of soup that could make me go from being so-so about soup to being a fan. Thanks for sharing!
Yum! This looks delicious! With this cold weather, I feel like I have been making so much soup! This will be a great new recipe to try! Pinned:)
What a great looking soup! Love The flavours going on. Thanks again for sharing at Simple Supper.
Sounds great, full of warming and hearty flavours. Thanks for linking up at Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again this weekend!
G'day! Looks to be a warm, welcoming soup Jamie!
i could go for a taste right now!
Cheers! Joanne
http://whatsonthelist.net
Looks delicious! Are the beans added dry or have they been soaked overnight?
The beans are added dry.