Martha Stewart Beef Barley Soup

Martha Stewart beef barley soup takes 75 minutes and just stew beef, barley and carrots to make a hearty, chewy-tender stovetop soup with a deeply flavored broth. It's an easy cozy soup recipe for fall dinners, cold winter nights or Sunday suppers, and it's made in one pot.

Brown the beef hard before anything else goes in the pot, because those crusty bits on the bottom flavor the whole broth. Skip it and the soup tastes thin and flat, no matter how long it simmers.

Martha keeps the ingredient list short and lets the barley do the work, so it soaks up the stock while it thickens the broth. She also sweats the onion for a full 10 minutes and deglazes with a splash of stock, which makes it taste like it simmered all day.

Martha Stewart Beef Barley Soup

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Course: SoupCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

280

kcal

Beef browns first, then simmers with barley until the grains turn chewy and the meat turns tender. The starch from the barley thickens the broth into something rich and almost stew-like.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  

• 1/2 pound stew beef, cut into ½-inch pieces
  

• 1 medium-size yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  

• 2 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch coins
  

• 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
  

• 6 cups Rich Beef Stock or low-sodium canned beef broth
  

• 1/4 cup barley, rinsed
  

• 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme
  

• Parsley, for garnish
  

Directions

• Brown the beef: Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a 6-quart soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the stew beef. Brown it evenly for about 5 minutes, then move it to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.
• Cook the onion: Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and the chopped yellow onion. Cook for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Add carrots and garlic: Stir in the carrot coins and minced garlic and sweat them for 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Then pour in 1/2 cup of the beef stock and scrape the bottom of the pot once more.
• Add stock and barley: Pour in the remaining stock, then add the browned beef, rinsed barley and chopped thyme. Bring everything to a boil.
• Simmer the soup: Reduce the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes, skimming the pot now and then. It's done when the barley is cooked through and the beef is tender.
• Serve: Ladle the soup into deep bowls. Finish each one with a sprinkle of parsley.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO stainless slotted spoon, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Partanna Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, 1 liter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

What is the best beef to use for beef barley soup?

Boneless beef chuck or boneless short ribs work best, since both soften as they simmer without turning mushy. Pick a piece with some marbling and cut it into even 1/2-inch pieces, so everything finishes cooking at the same time.

Should I use hulled or pearled barley?

Martha's version works with hulled barley, which takes about 50 minutes and matches the simmer time here. Pearled barley cooks in about 25 minutes, so it can turn soft and mushy in a full-length simmer.

How long does beef barley soup keep in the fridge?

It keeps for 3 to 5 days in tight-lidded containers. Let it cool to room temperature first, and split it into smaller portions so it cools faster.

Can I freeze beef barley soup?

Yes, let it cool completely, then pour it into a freezer-safe container with a tight lid and label it with the date. It keeps well for up to 6 months, though the flavor fades after a few months.

Do I need to cook the barley before adding it to the soup?

No, the soup simmers long enough that the barley cooks right in the pot. The starch it releases also thickens the broth, so you don't need flour or cornstarch.