Mushroom Barley Soup

Name: Mushroom Barley Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: about 11 servings (2-3/4 quarts).
Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 2 cups finely chopped onions; 1 cup diced carrots; 1/2 cup sliced celery; 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth; 2 cups water; 1/2 cup medium pearl barley; 1 teaspoon salt, optional; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

A few years ago, a friend at work shared the recipe for this wonderful soup. With beef, barley and vegetables, it's hearty enough to be a meal. A big steaming bowl with a slice of crusty bread is so satisfying on a cold day. —Lynn Thomas, London, Ontario

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup medium pearl barley
1 teaspoon salt, optional
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a Dutch oven or stockpot, cook meat in oil over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove meat with a slotted spoon; keep warm and set aside.
Saute onions, carrots and celery in drippings over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in broths, water, barley, salt if desired and pepper.
Return meat to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until barley and meat are tender. Add parsley.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 220 calories, 13g fat (0 saturated fat), 43mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 14g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Bobi0829

Jan 7, 2020

Very good, used baby Bella’s so the taste was kind of on the earthy side. This will be in the regular rotation. Next time I will try a couple of splashes of Worcester sauce.
Janis

Dec 12, 2019

I have made this soup for years. I used to own 25 years worth of Taste of home cookbooks until I downsized into a tiny house and unfortunately had to downsize them. But I am still a die hard fan! And even after my divorce this was and is my ex husbands favorite soup and I still make it for him like I am today. It’s amazing. Today I played with recipe using Japanese barley, I also used Crimini mushrooms.
Jim

Nov 20, 2019

If this is cooked too long the barley and veggies get mushy. Flavor? We found it a bit bland but didn’t want to add a lot of salt.
cindyames

Sep 19, 2019

Love this soup,, better next day and freezes well
Lee

Sep 12, 2019

Can I make this in a crock pot if so how long do I cook it?
Tammy

Sep 9, 2019

I tried this for the first time when TOH printed it years ago. It’s my husbands favorite soup, and I’m always asked to share the recipe. Tip- I like to switch up the meat sometimes and use Italian sausage, other times, half beef, half sausage. Love the extra spice and flavor it adds!
pattygray11

Jan 26, 2019

Again, the nutrition values are way off. 65 mg of sodium per serving? With 2 cans of broth? Zero grams of fiber?
island_gerl

Feb 24, 2016

No one was impressed with this soup. It was pretty bland. The best part of the meal was the sourdough bread I made to go along with it. Yes, It was easy to make and no one disliked it - but I'll be taking it out of my recipe box and looking for a different beef/barley combo. I cook for 6 and there was none left. I would never expect this to serve 11 as a main meal.
cindihartline

Feb 13, 2015

Excellent soup!
crabstate

Sep 30, 2014

Easy to make. My kids loved it!