Recipe posted first on The Recipe Critic Soup season is here and I’m ridiculously (strangely) excited! If you were hanging around here last year you know that soup is one of my biggest loves. Soup is an easy, mostly healthy, one pot meal, and is also perfect for making ahead and meal prepping, which makes my life easier on a crazy weeknight. Who doesn’t want that? If you’re as much of a soup lover as myself, you will find a ton of amazing recipes in my Crockpot Soup Recipes collection and my Instant Pot Soup Recipes collection.
Why we love this Beef and Barley Soup:
It’s healthy — the beef and the barley give this soup a ton of protein and fiber, which gives it more staying power than a lot of easy soup recipes. You’re not going to be hungry in an hour — anyone else have this problem with soup? I love it, but then in an hour I’m hangry because I didn’t get enough protein and complex carbs. This recipe is the answer to our problems! You can make it ahead — it can be refrigerated up to 3-4 days and frozen for up to 3 months for easy meals down the road. You can make it on the stove top or in the slow cooker, which gives me a lot of flexibiltiy on hectic days.
How to make Beef Barley Soup:
Can I make this Beef Barley Soup in the Crockpot?
Absolutely! If you want to make Beef Barley Soup in the slow cooker, check out my Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup Recipe here — it includes a step by step video.
How do you freeze this Beef and Barley Soup?
One of the great things about this soup is how well it freezes! Barley freezes better than pasta or potatoes (though both can be done!) and you don’t lose any quality by making it ahead. I like to pour my soup into a large freezer bag, then seal and freeze flat so that it can be quickly thawed when you need it. If you don’t want to use freezer bags, you can find freezer-safe jars and use those instead to freeze in single portions. Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again. Register Now Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
