With only 15 minutes of prep, this Crockpot Beef Barley Soup simmers all day to create a delicious and comforting meal loaded with vegetables and tender beef that your family will love!
1 ½poundsbeef top sirloin steakcut into 1-inch pieces
1tablespoonolive oil
1 ½cupscarrotspeeled and sliced (about 3 medium)
1cupyellow onionchopped
1cupgreen bell pepperchopped
1teaspoondried Italian herb blend
1teaspoondried thyme
½teaspoondried rosemary
¼teaspoonground black pepper
½teaspoonsalt
½cuppearl barley
32ouncesbeef broth
2cupswater
14.5ouncescanned diced tomatoes,undrained
Instructions
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef pieces on all sides just until brown on the outside (not fully cooked).
Remove pan from heat and set aside.
In a 6-quart slow cooker, add carrots, onions, bell peppers, dried herbs, barley, beef broth, water, and tomatoes.
Add browned beef to soup mixture and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Tips
Look for the dried herbs in the spice aisle of your grocery store. If you can't find the Italian Herb Blend, you can substitute equal amounts of dried oregano and dried basil to equal the amount called for in the recipe. If you can’t find the thyme or prefer not to purchase it because you don’t know when you’ll use it again, it can be left out. Or you can use it in my Slow Cooker Turkey Vegetable Barley Soup.Barley – Look for barley (or pearl barley) on the same aisle as the rice and dried beans or on the cereal aisle near the oatmeal. It just depends on the store as to where to find it. I usually find it on and upper shelf. It’s a healthy whole grain that adds some nice texture for this soup (and can also be used in the Turkey Vegetable Soup I mentioned above).
Make Ahead Preparation Tips
There are a few ways to prep the ingredients ahead of time for this soup to save some time.The steak can be cut into cubes and stored in airtight container (affiliate link) in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.The same can be done for the carrots, onion and green bell pepper. These vegetables can be stored in the same container since you’ll be adding them all to the slow cooker at the same time anyway.Another timesaver is to measure out the dry herbs and barley ahead of time and store in an airtight bowl (affiliate link) at room temperature. This can actually be done up to three months in advance! Just be sure you date and label (affiliate link) it.Is This Soup Freezer Friendly?Yes! This soup freezes well after it’s cooked. I like to use my 2-cup Souper Cubes (affiliate link) to portion it out so that it’s easy to thaw just a serving or two when we want an easy lunch or dinner. Don’t forget to date and label (affiliate link) the container you store the soup in!