Description

This Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup is a hearty and comforting meal perfect for chilly days. Tender stew meat is seared to lock in flavor, then slow-cooked with vegetables, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and nutty barley to create a rich and satisfying soup. The long, slow cooking tenderizes the meat and melds all the flavors beautifully, making it an easy and nutritious one-pot meal for the whole family.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Seasonings

1 pound stew meat
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp olive oil

Vegetables and Aromatics

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 ribs celery, sliced in half and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced

Liquids and Grains

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
6 cups beef broth
3/4 cup barley

Herbs

2 bay leaves

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Instructions

Brown the Meat: Heat a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the stew meat with black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme. Add olive oil to the pan and sear the meat pieces, browning them on all sides without cooking through to lock in flavor.
Transfer to Slow Cooker: Place the browned meat into the slow cooker. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and bay leaves to the slow cooker, mixing to combine all ingredients.
Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, or alternatively on high heat for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is tender and flavors melded together.
Add Barley and Finish Cooking: Remove the lid, stir the soup, and add the barley. Cover again and cook on high heat for an additional hour until the barley is tender. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Enjoy your hearty beef barley soup!

Notes

For best flavor, brown the meat well before adding to the slow cooker.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper at the end if needed.
You can substitute pearl barley or hulled barley; cooking time may vary slightly.
Leftover soup keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Feel free to add other vegetables like peas or mushrooms during the last hour of cooking for variation.