Hearty Beef and Barley Soup with Winter Root Vegetables

Kitchen Team @ Spooning and Forking

This beef and barley soup simmers tender beef cubes with pearl barley, carrots, and parsnips until rich and hearty. A comforting, substantial soup that feels like a meal in itself, ideal for frosty days when you need something sustaining and warming.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 50

Course Soup, Starter

Cuisine British, European

Servings Servings

Calories 420 kcal

Ingredients

600 g Beef stewing (such as chuck), cut into cubes
2 tbsp Flour plain, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Onions medium sized, chopped
3 Carrots diced
2 Parsnips diced
2 Celery sticks, diced
3 cloves Garlic minced
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
1.5 l Beef stock
150 g Pearl barley rinsed
2 Bay leaves
2 sprigs Fresh thyme
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste, freshly ground
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped, to serve

Instructions

Dust beef cubes in seasoned flour. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot and brown the beef in batches until golden. Remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté onions, carrots, parsnips, and celery until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato purée, cooking for 2 minutes.
Return beef to the pot, pour in stock, and add barley, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 2–2½ hours until the beef is tender and the barley is plump. Remove bay leaves and thyme, season generously, and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Notes

Stewing beef is perfect here because the long, slow cooking tenderises it beautifully. Chuck or shin are both good options, as they’re rich in connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin, thickening the soup naturally.

Pearl barley gives the soup its nutty chew and body. Rinse it well before cooking to remove excess starch, which can make the broth cloudy. Root vegetables like carrots and parsnips add sweetness and balance the savoury beef.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 28gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 980mgPotassium: 1150mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 9200IUCalcium: 90mgIron: 4mg

Keyword beef barley, hearty soup, root vegetables, slow cooked, winter comfort

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