Ground Beef Barley Soup
This comforting Ground Beef Barley Soup is a delicious stovetop dairy-free soup with ground beef that whole family will enjoy. This recipe as written has 9.9 net carbs per serving, but see tips in this post to make a version that’s gluten-free and lower in carbs!
PIN Ground Beef and Barley Soup to try it later!
I know a lot of people love Instant Pot Soups and Slow Cooker Soups, and of course I like them too. But for me there’s also something so comforting about soup simmering away on the stove making your house smell good!
And I especially love making soup with whatever I find in the freezer or fridge, and years ago I made this Ground Beef Barley Soup that was one of those happy experiments that turned out to be a real winner. The soup has both vegetable and beef broth for richness of flavor, and if you haven’t tried barley in soup, I bet you’ll be surprised how tasty it is in this recipe! And if you check the nutritional information you might also be surprised that this soup tasty soup with just a little barley has only has 9.9 net carbs per serving.
Of course, a soup with barley won’t work for Keto or Gluten-Free diets, so if you need that you might prefer my Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef and Cauliflower Soup that was adapted from this recipe. Or see tips below to adapt this stovetop soup recipe into a version that’s lower in carbs!
What ingredients do you need?
- lean ground beef
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- canned beef broth (affiliate link) or homemade Beef Stock
- canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
- Dried Parsley (affiliate link)
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link) or Ground Thyme (affiliate link)
- celery
- carrots
- pearl barley (affiliate link)
- Balsamic Vinegar (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Want a lower-carb version of Ground Beef Barley Soup?
Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef and Cauliflower Soup is a Keto soup recipe that was adapted from this recipe. Or to make this stovetop soup lower in carbs use fewer carrots and more celery and switch out the barley for 1-2 cups of frozen cauliflower rice.
Want to make this soup gluten-free?
Using cauliflower rice instead of barley will also make the soup gluten-free. You could also use regular rice if you don’t care about the carbs.
How to Make Ground Beef Barley Soup:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Start by browning the ground beef (called beef mince if you’re in Europe) in a small amount of olive oil.
- I like ground beef in soup, but I don’t like a lot of beef fat so sometimes I rinse the cooked ground beef with VERY HOT water before I use it in the soup. your choice on that.
- Another option for removing excess fat from soup with ground beef is using a Stock Skimmer (affiliate link) like this one to scoop the fat off when the soup is cooking.
- Put the rinsed beef back in the pan, then push it to the side, add a little more olive oil if needed, and saute the onions and garlic.
- Add the beef broth (or and vegetable stock (or canned broth), dried parsley, and dried thyme and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add the carrots and celery and simmer for 30 minutes more.
- Even though I rinsed the ground beef, there’s now a little bit of fat on the top of the soup that I’ll skim off with the stock skimmer.
- Then add the barley and cook about 30 minutes more. (You may want to add a little water at this point if you think it needs it.)
- Cook the soup until the barley is done but still slightly chewy, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Serve Ground Beef and Barley Soup piping hot and enjoy!
More Comforting Stovetop Soups:
- Turkey Soup with Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash
- Chicken (or Turkey) Barley Soup
- Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup with Cauliflower Rice
- Chicken Soup with Collards and Lemon
- Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ground Beef Barley Soup
This comforting Ground Beef Barley Soup is perfect for family dinner and I bet the whole family will love it!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 T minced garlic (or less if you’re not that crazy about garlic)
- 6 cups homemade beef stock or canned beef broth (see notes)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 2 T balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large dutch-oven type pan; then saute the ground beef until it’s cooked through and lightly browned.
- If desired, put the ground beef into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with VERY HOT water to remove the fat. (This is optional, but I think it improves the flavor and it makes the soup lower in fat. If you don’t have a fine mesh strainer, you can skim off some fat when the soup is cooked.)
- Put ground beef back in the pan, push to one side, add 1 tsp. more olive oil (if needed) and then saute the onions and garlic until they are starting to soften.
- Add the homemade beef stock , vegetable stock, dried parsley, and dried thyme and let soup cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes.
- While soup simmers finely chop the carrots and celery.
- After 30 minutes, add chopped vegetables to the soup and simmer for about 30 minutes more.
- Then add the barley and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. (Before you add the barley you may want to skim off any fat that’s floated to the top, especially if you didn’t rinse the ground beef. You may also want to add a little more water at this point.)
- When the barley is done but still slightly chewy, turn off heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar, season soup with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve hot.
Notes
If you don't have homemade beef stock, use 3 cans beef broth and a little water to make 6 cups.
This soup freezes or reheats well, although the barley soaks up the liquid so you may want to add water when you re-heat it. It’s family-friendly, and uses ingredients you may often keep on hand, so you may want to make a double batch for winter meals.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6.4gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1541mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 26g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This tasty Ground Beef Barley Soup only has 9.9 net carbs per serving. If you wanted to make a lower-carb (and gluten-free) version of this recipe, you could use more celery and fewer carrots and switch out the barley for frozen cauliflower rice. Or check out Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef and Cauliflower Soup for a similar soup that’s Keto. The recipe as written would be phase 2 or 3 for the original South Beach Diet, due to the carrots and barley.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more tasty soups! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2011. The recipe was last updated with more information and a gluten-free and Keto option in 2022.
40 Comments on “Ground Beef Barley Soup”
Had to share this compliment from my husband as he sniffed at the pot while coming to a simmer before adding the vegies "mmm, when are we eating this?"
I made this the other day, but I changed it up a little. I used 1/2 lb each of ground pork and hamburger. I used a homemade veg stock of leek, onion, carrot, celery and garlic. I added 1 can of tomato paste, about 1/2 Tbsp white pepper and a little bit more barley (nearly 1 cup). It was a thick, delicious soup (next time I'd cut the carrots by half – too much sweetness). It was delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is the best soup I've had in a long, long time. I am definitely going to keep this in my recipe box forever! Thank you.
I made this last night for my husband and I, he LOVED it and even ate his veggies (the man is totally anti veggie) Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Hi Teresa,
So glad you enjoyed the soup! Congratulations on the weight loss, and thanks for the nice words about my blog as well.
Happy Birthday to Rand!
made this soup tonight and indeed it was warm and comforting and perfect to get us back on SBD Track! Sadly Only enough is left for the littlest of lunch tomorrow ~ it was big hit tonight!
I have many people ask me how I've lost weight and what resources I've used…I've passed along your blog as my top weight loss resource! Happy New Year!
Teresa in Texas
Happy Birthday to Rand!! And I can definitely see how this soup would make you feel better when you aren't feeling at your best.
Jeanette, don't you love those soup memories from childhood. Now I just need to get Rand here to try it.
Joanne, he's on vacation but I think he had a great birthday. Glad you like the calendar.
Gary, thanks and so glad you like it.
Dara, I really like to do that with beef; for some reason beef fat in soup really does not appeal to me.
This looks so comforting and hearty. I have never thought to rinse the fat off of the cooked ground beef. Great tip! Happy Birthday to Rand.
I love your soup recipes and this one sounds as great as many of the others. And, just when I was thinking about an easy beef soup. I'll be making it today, thanks!
Happy birthday to your brother!
And thanks SO much for the calendar! I felt a little sad taking the one from last year down but this one is so cute!
This reminds me of a beef barley soup my mom made every winter when we were growing up. I'm sure Rand would appreciate a pot of this!
Thanks Pam; glad you like it!
Beef and barley soup is one of my favorites! LOVE my calendar!!
Thanks Kelley. I am always looking to eliminate saturated fat, and that trick of rinsing the ground beef makes a big difference.
Lydia, the splash of vinegar really makes it good!
I love the splash of balsamic vinegar at the end. Like using a parmesan cheese rind, adding vinegar is one of a soup maker's special secrets to bump up flavor.
I could live off soups this time of year! Great tip for rinsing the ground beef if you don't like the flavor or are trying to cut the fat. This looks hearty and "healthy" comfort food!!
Thanks Julie; I hope you find it as comforting as I did!
Kalyn, I can always count on you for a new and yummy soup receipe. This will be on my dinner table tonight. Thanks.