Best Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does barley need to be cooked before adding to soup? ›

Do you cook barley before adding it to soup? Your beef barley soup will simmer long enough to cook the barley. There is no need for the additional step of cooking the barley first. The barley takes about 30 minutes to cook completely.

Why does my beef and barley soup have no flavor? Beef and barley soup/stew benefits greatly from aromatics like onions, as well as acids like red wine or tomatoes and tomato paste, which add a bright note. Cooking long and slow also deepens the flavor.

Cover the pot and allow the beef to cook in the broth for 20 minutes. Add the vegetables, barley, Worcestershire, soy, garlic, thyme, and parsley. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. If the end results are not a thick as you'd like (I like it thicker) combine the water and cornstarch and add it to the soup.

As barley is a starch the best you can do is dilute it, or thin it out a bit. You may need to add a fair bit of broth and more of your vegetal ingredients. Possibly to the point of doubling your recipe. It will depend on when you find the taste and texture to have gotten back to acceptable levels.

There is no need to rinse barley before using it. To enhance the flavor of barley, heat the kernels in a skillet for a few minutes or cook it in broth instead of water. You can save time by cooking extra barley and freezing it. Add it to soups or salads as you need it.

Barley has been shown to have antitumor properties through regulating the immune system and limiting cancer cell proliferation and dissemination. Furthermore, barley possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which may contribute to its anticancer potential.

The best cut of meat for beef soup is either a chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast or top chuck – with chuck roast being my personal favorite. These are the most tender cuts. Despite what the name suggests, stew meat is not your best choice in a beef soup recipe!

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says.

Yield. To cook 1 cup of barley grains, you'll need 3 cups of water or broth. Like many grains, barley swells considerably when cooked, so 1 cup of dry barley grains will yield 3 cups of tender cooked grains.

Which barley is better for soup? ›

Pearl barley – Tasty whole grains have a nutty flavour and chewy texture that heightens the eating experience of this otherwise simple soup. Find it in the soup or grain aisle at the grocery store, alongside dried beans usually. Not to be confused with HULLED barley which is tougher and takes longer to cook.

After you've measured it out, simply allow the barley to cook under a soft boil until the water is absorbed. This takes around 40 minutes. Once the barley has cooked fully, it will be soft yet chewy. Overcooked barley will become mushy, while undercooked may have a thicker and chewier texture.

Foods that must be eliminated completely include all those containing derivatives of wheat, rye and barley. Bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers, pastry, pasta and breakfast cereals made from wheat/rye/barley should all be eliminated from your diet or exchanged for gluten free versions.

Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity: The gluten in barley can make celiac disease worse. Avoid using barley. Allergies to cereal grains: Consuming barley might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to other cereal grains, including rye, wheat, oat, corn and rice.

However, if you consume too much of it, its fiber content can cause stomach cramps, constipation, bloating, and gas. Unwanted weight gain. Barley water is high in calories per serving. You can further increase the calorie count if you add fruit juices or sweeteners like honey to your barley water mix.

One-half cup (100 grams) of uncooked hulled barley packs 17.3 grams of fiber, or 69% and 46% of the RDI for women and men respectively (6). Dietary fiber increases the bulk of your stool, making it easier to pass through your digestive tract ( 14 ). Barley may help relieve constipation.

MAKING BEEF BARLEY SOUP AHEAD OF TIME

This soup is great to make ahead of time, with one modification. Since the barley can absorb too much of the liquid when made ahead, and get mushy, I find it best to cook the barley separately. Make as directed, just omitting the barley.

However, keep in mind that barley tends to absorb liquid as it sits, so you may need to add more broth or water before reheating. It's best to store the barley and soup separately and combine them when reheating to maintain the desired consistency.

In case you're wondering, this soak-instead-of-cook idea isn't something you can do with just any old grain. Many of the bigger/tougher ones — barley, rice, farro and the like — will start to ferment and/or sprout long before they are tender enough to eat raw, so those require cooking.