Mushroom Beef Barley Soup

Mushroom beef barley takes patience and time - make it the day before you plan on eating it. The overnight rest lets the flavors fully develop and the meat becomes tender and delightful instead of rubbery.

Harper Donahue

November 10, 2025

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Universal Beef Broth (~6-quart yield)

3 lbs beef marrow bones or knuckles
2 onions, halved
1 head of garlic, halved laterally
2 carrots, quartered
1 celery root end and tips
1 lb mushroom stems
1 poultry herb bundle (thyme, rosemary, sage)
8 quarts cold water
Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Roast the Broth Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Arrange the soup bones, onion, carrot, garlic, and half the thyme on a sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast for ~40 minutes, flipping the bones halfway through.

Simmer the Broth

Place the celery, mushroom stems, remaining herbs, and pepper in a large stock pot. Add the roasted ingredients from the sheet tray, making sure to scrape in any liquid fat that has rendered from the bones.

Add the 8 quarts of cold water and bring the pot to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer on low for ~2-6 hours. Strain the broth through a mesh strainer. This broth can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Beef Barley Soup Ingredients (~4 servings)

3/4 lb top round or chuck roast
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, torn
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
2 Tbsp dry red wine
2 carrots, sliced into coins
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 quart (4 cups) beef broth (from above or store-bought)
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of parsley, chives, or scallions

Brown the Mushrooms and Beef

Season the roast generously with salt and pepper. You can do this ~8-24 hours in advance and let it rest in the refrigerator. Before cooking, let it sit at room temperature for an hour to help with browning.

In a Dutch oven, heat the 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the mushrooms in two batches, seasoning them with salt. Set them aside.

In the same pot, brown the roast on all sides, letting it develop a crust. This will take several minutes per side.

Remove the roast, let it rest until it is cool enough to touch, then cut it into 1 to 2-inch pieces.

Build the Soup Base

Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the diced onions and garlic. Sauté the onions until they start to become translucent. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the red wine and continue to scrape the bottom. Allow the wine and onions to cook down until the wine is nearly absorbed and the onions look jammy.

Add the carrots and celery and stir to coat them with the onion mixture. Sauté until the vegetables just start to soften.

Simmer the Soup

Add the browned mushrooms and the cut-up beef back into the pot. Add the 4 cups of beef broth and stir everything together.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for ~1 hour, or until the carrots, celery, and beef are all tender.

Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Turn off the heat and place the lid on the Dutch oven.

Cook Barley and Finish

At this point, you should ideally put the soup in the refrigerator and finish it the next day. If you don’t have time, let it cool on the stove for an hour before moving to the next step.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup over low heat.

In a separate pot of salted water, bring it to a boil and add the barley. Simmer at a low boil with the lid on for ~30-40 minutes, or until the barley is tender.

Use a slotted spoon to drain the barley and transfer it into the hot soup. Cooking the barley separately is a critical step; it prevents the barley from absorbing all your broth.

Taste the soup and add any salt if needed. Add the fresh herbs to finish.