Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

Soup is one of my favorite one pot meals. Everything you need for a great dinner is in this easy Crockpot Beef Barley Soup. It’s a great way to stretch stew meat and really maximize your grocery budget.

Plus, the soup is really very hearty. Even big eaters will feel satisfied with this soup. If you love this recipe, you may also love Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon and Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Stew.

Why We Love This Recipe

The key to this soup is letting it slow cook. This gives any cut of meat time to get tender and the flavors to really blend.

If you can toss a few ingredients into the crockpot, you can make this easy soup. There isn’t anything complicated and you won’t find a ton of complicated steps. Just toss and go!

Ingredients

• Beef Stew Meat – You can also use boneless beef chuck or other cuts of beef
• Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Addition Ideas

This Beef Barley Soup ingredients can be changed or added to change the flavor. Here is some delicious additions.

• Worcestershire Sauce
• Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Peas
• Corn
• Mushrooms
• Green Beans
• Bay Leaf

How to Make Beef Barley Soup in the Slow Cooker

• Step 1 – Add all of the ingredients except for the barley to the crock pot.

• Step 2 – Cover crock pot with lid, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

• Step 3 – Add the barley to the crock pot for the last 30 minutes of the cook time. Serve and Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Slow Cooker Recommendation – There are some really good ones on sale right now. If you work all day, you may want to invest in a programmable crockpot. I also really like this crockpot.  Now, it’s not programmable but it’s so handy.
• Crock Pot Liners – Another time saving tip is to use Crockpot liners. They make clean up a breeze. Instead of scrubbing and washing the pot, you can just toss the liner. It is practically no clean up.
• Chopping Veggies – To save time, we also like to keep diced onion and bell pepper in the freezer so it is easy to add to any recipe we like. Another time saving tip is to use a small food chopper or food processor to quickly and easily chop the onions. Learn and  how to freeze onions and also how to freeze peppers to save so much time in the kitchen!

Serving Suggestions

We love to serve this soup with crackers or warm bread like Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe. The broth is so delicious that you will want something to dip into the soup and get every last drop.

If you don’t have time to make bread, no worries! Just grab a loaf of bread from the bakery at the grocery store. Anything will work!

Storing and Freezing Tips

• Storing Leftovers – Store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
• Freezing Leftovers – After the soup has cooled, place the soup in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to reheat.
• Reheat Leftovers – Reheat the leftovers on the stovetop in a saucepan. You can also reheat in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl.