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3.50 from 12 votes

Healthy Vegetable Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup Recipe

A hearty and delicious slow cooker soup that will warm you inside and out.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: barley beef soup, crock pot vegetable beef soup, vegetable beef barley soup
Servings: 6
Author: Martha McKinnon | Simple Nourished Living

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3/4 pound beef stew meat cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic in a jar
  • 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with their juices
  • 1/2 cup pearled barley
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  • Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-Quart.
  • In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat.
  • Dry off the meat with paper towels and then sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
  • Add the meat to the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total.
  • Transfer to a 5- or 6-Quart slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
  • Scrape the mixture from the skillet into the slow cooker. (If there are any browned bits still remaining in the skillet, add a little of the beef broth to de-glaze the pan and then add to the slow cooker.)
  • Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, broth, tomatoes, barley, and thyme to the slow cooker and stir to blend.
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of parsley, if desired.

Notes

Serving size: 1-1/2 cups
WW Points: 5
Check the WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app.
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
5 SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
7 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Although Ellie, made this on the stove, I turned it into a slow cooker soup recipe with great results. Add whatever vegetables you like.
The last time I made this I added green beans, and chopped leftover Swiss chard and it was delicious.
Corn, peas, turnips and parsnips are other great choices.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-1/2 cups | Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 688mg | Potassium: 1089mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3753IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg