If you’re looking for a hearty and healthy soup then make sure to give this one a try. This is one of my mother-in-law’s recipes and I’m so glad she shared it with me. It’s deliciously beefy and the barley and vegetables make it super filling. It’s so easy to make too.

There’s a stove top option and a crockpot option for making this. Both ways are easy so pick the one that best fits your schedule. In other words, pick the stove top option if you want it ready in a couple hours and the crockpot one if you can wait 8 hours before eating it.

The carrots, celery and onions provide a great base of flavor in this soup. They add a delightful freshness that pairs excellently with the nutty and slightly chewy barley. Some thyme and marjoram provide an extra boost of savory flavor that is wonderful with the beef.

Serving this with sour cream isn’t necessary but it sure is a delicious option. It makes the broth just slightly creamy and the acidity adds another level of flavor. But don’t worry if sour cream isn’t an option for you, it’s yummy as is.

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Beef and Barley Soup

A hearty and healthy soup that's easy to make on the stove or in the crockpot.

Servings: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef, cut into bite size pieces
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• ½ cup pearled barley
• Salt to taste
• Sour cream for serving, optional

Instructions

Crockpot Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.
2. Salt to taste and serve with sour cream if desired.

Stove top Instructions:

1. Simmer beef in broth and water, covered, for 1 ½ hours.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 45 minutes longer.
3. Salt to taste and serve with sour cream if desired.