Description
Hearty slow cooker beef barley soup delivers comfort in a bowl, combining tender beef chunks with pearl barley and rich, savory broth. Nutritious ingredients meld together, creating a warming meal that feels like a culinary embrace from your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) lean boneless beef (chuck or stew meat), cubed
Vegetables:
- 6 carrots, diced
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 green onions, diced
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Seasonings and Other Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup pearl barley (uncooked)
- 6 cups water, divided
- 3 cans (10.5 ounces each) beef broth
Instructions
- Prepare the beef by searing cubes in a hot skillet with oil, creating a rich golden-brown exterior. Enhance the meat with a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Deglaze the skillet with water, capturing all the flavorful browned bits from the pan’s surface. Transfer these concentrated pan drippings to the slow cooker.
- Combine all remaining ingredients: water, broth, diced carrots, chopped onions, sliced celery, and pearl barley into the slow cooker. These elements will develop a deeply comforting and robust soup base.
- Allow the mixture to simmer slowly, either on LOW setting for 6-8 hours or HIGH setting for 3-4 hours. This extended cooking time will tenderize the beef and allow the barley to absorb the savory liquid.
- As the cooking cycle completes, gently stir in fresh thyme leaves to introduce a final layer of aromatic complexity. Taste and adjust seasonings, ensuring a perfectly balanced flavor profile before ladling into warm bowls.
Notes
- Enhance meat flavor by patting beef dry before searing to achieve better caramelization and deeper brown crust.
- Swap traditional beef for leaner protein options like turkey or chicken for a lighter, diet-friendly version that maintains rich taste profile.
- Consider adding mushrooms or root vegetables like parsnips for extra nutrition and complexity in the soup’s overall depth and texture.
- Customize soup’s thickness by adjusting liquid ratio – add more broth for
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg