American
Classic Beef and Barley Soup
Deeply browned chuck, pearled barley, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and thyme simmer into a richly savory broth with tender beef and resilient grain.
8 servings · 25 minutes prep · 105 minutes cook
Ingredients
Beef
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes and patted dry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
Soup
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup pearled barley, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Directions
Brown the Beef
- Season the beef with half the salt and all the pepper. Heat the oil and brown beef in three batches, 3 to 4 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
Build the Soup
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms; cook 8 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- Return beef and juices. Add the broth, thyme, bay leaves, and remaining salt. Simmer partly covered for 45 minutes.
Cook the Barley and Finish
- Stir in the barley and Worcestershire. Simmer partly covered for 35 to 45 minutes until beef is fork-tender and barley has no hard center.
- Discard bay leaves. Stir in the red wine vinegar; rest 10 minutes, skim excess fat, and finish with parsley.
