Beef and Barley Soup
Ground beef, pearl barley, and vegetables simmered in beef broth until the barley thickens the whole pot.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking it apart — about 8 minutes. Drain fat.
Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 5 minutes until softened.
Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and paprika. Cook 1 minute.
Add the diced tomatoes, broth, and water. Stir well.
Bring to a boil. Add the barley. Stir, then reduce heat to a steady simmer.
Cook uncovered 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender and the soup has thickened.
Taste and adjust salt. Add more water if the soup gets too thick — barley absorbs a lot of liquid.
Serve hot. The soup thickens even more the next day; thin with water when reheating.
Pearl barley PC Blue Menu 450g is $2.50 — about $0.56/100g. It is the cheapest grain by volume that also thickens the soup as it cooks.
- Two cartons of broth plus 500 mL water gives enough liquid for the barley to absorb without the soup going dry.
- This is one of the better freezer candidates on the site — freeze before the barley fully absorbs all the broth.
Estimated values per serving.
This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.
- Replace pearl barley with long-grain white rice (same weight) (Rice costs slightly less. Add it 20 minutes before the end instead of at the start.)
Barley contains gluten. Swap for rice for a naturally GF version. Verify broth is also GF.