Best-Ever Beef Barley Soup – Hearty, Slow-Simmered Comfort in a Bowl

This beef barley soup is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food—rich, savory, and packed with tender chunks of beef, hearty barley, and vegetables. Slowly simmered in a flavorful broth, it’s the kind of soul-warming meal you’ll want to make all winter long.

🧾 Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) beef chuck roast or stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1–1½-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1–2 tablespoons tomato paste (or ½ cup canned diced tomatoes)
• 6–8 cups beef broth (or half beef and half chicken broth)
• 1 cup pearled or hulled barley, rinsed
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or a few fresh sprigs)
• Optional: ½ cup red wine or a splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Fresh parsley or thyme, for garnish

👨‍🍳 Instructions