Beef, Barley & Mushroom Soup
with Carrots & Onion
- Wheat
Like a good pair of jeans or a fine wine—this classic beef, barley, and mushroom soup has been a tried-and-true favorite for good reason. Beef is cooked with tender mushrooms, carrots, and onion, then swirled with tomato and stock concentrates for rich umami flavor. Quick-cooking pearled barley is added at the end for a hearty grain that adds irresistible chew! One bite and you’ll see why this cozy comfort food has stood the test of time.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon
Fry Seasoning
1 unit
Tomato Paste
6 ounce
Carrot
1 unit
Onion
10 ounce
Ground Beef
2 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Mushroom Stock Concentrate
0.38 cup
Barley
4 ounce
Button Mushrooms
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• In a small pot, bring 1½ cups water (2½ cups for 4 servings), half the barley (all for 4), half the Fry Seasoning (you’ll use the rest later), and a big pinch of salt to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer; cover and cook until tender and most of the water has absorbed, 25-30 minutes. • Drain if necessary; keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While barley cooks, wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and finely dice onion. Trim, peel, and halve carrots lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Trim and thinly slice mushrooms (skip if your mushrooms are pre-sliced!).
• Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 4-7 minutes.
• Increase heat under pot to medium high. Add beef*, remaining Fry Seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3-4 minutes. • Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and darkened in color, 30-60 seconds.
• Stir 3 cups water (6 cups for 4 servings), beef stock concentrates, and mushroom stock concentrate into pot. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup has slightly reduced and beef is cooked through, 2-4 minutes. • Skim off any fat from the surface if necessary. Keep soup covered off heat.
• Stir cooked barley into pot with soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. • Divide between bowls and serve.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Some found it delicious and hearty, while others thought it needed more seasoning. Try adding garlic powder, red pepper, or a splash of fish sauce for depth.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, perfect for a cold night. Consider cooking the barley directly in the soup to simplify preparation.
- Suggestions: Enhance flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, or fresh herbs. Cook beef separately to reduce grease, or simmer longer for richer taste.
- Portions: Makes a generous amount, with some families having leftovers or going back for seconds.
- Texture: A few found the barley chewy; ensure it's cooked thoroughly for the best texture.
Reviews from our home cooks
Quick, easy and a couple of my kiddos came back for seconds! The thing that I added to give it ANY taste was LOTS of garlic powder and red pepper. My kiddos and husband added "slap ya momma" seasoning and it was AMAZING
I really enjoyed this soup. I was a little disappointed with my ingredients because the onion arrived and it was bad but once I dug another one out of my pantry and cooked this up...I was pleasantly surprised.
Soup was delicious but the beef should have been cooked separately to eliminate extra grease before adding to the soup.
Delicious, but could maybe use some fresh herbs to brighten up the dish.
The mushrooms were wilted and dark. I was not able to get the barley to cook properly, it seemed undercooked even though I let it simmer for over 30 minutes.
We find the soups are too meaty, so I added water and Beef Better Than Bouillon, and more carrots for a better balance.
It needed just a flavor bump, I added some fish sauce to up the flavor-just a splash. But fat and good
It's a little bland even when adding salt and pepper to taste.
