READY IN 14+ hrs

Grandpa's Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup

Read Reviews (15)

"I miss my Grandparents dearly. Grandpa loved to cook while Grandma knitted on the sofa. This helps brings them back to me. This recipe was one of my favorites growing up. It's an old-fashioned, slow-cooking, lick-the-bowl, stick-to-your-ribs type of soup. The family loves it. It's traditional at holiday time with a nice slice of rye bread to dip in it." — Lobbylady

Directions

Combine barley and 2 1/2 cups water in a bowl; cover and let soak overnight. Combine dried mushrooms and 1/2 cup water in a bowl; cover and let soak overnight.
Place the chuck roast in a large stockpot over medium heat; cover the roast with 5 quarts water. Bring the water to a boil, skimming any foam off the surface. Boil the roast until the foam no longer forms on the water, about 15 minutes. Pour the barley, mushrooms, and the water from both bowls into the stockpot; stir in the parsley, dill, broth, salt, and pepper. Return the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring every hour, until soup has reduced to desired thickness, 4 to 6 hours.
Remove large pieces of beef from the soup; trim and discard fat. Cut remaining meat into bite-sized pieces and return them to the soup.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 6 hrs
READY IN 14 hrs 15 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 04, 2009

I made some changes-I cooked stew meat in the crock pot with a package of brown gravy mix and 2 cups of water. Once that was about done, I cooked quick barley (1cup) according to the package directions. I put the barley, parsley, salt, etc all in the crock pot with the meat to finish for about an hour.

—zary125

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Most Helpful Critical Review

May 26, 2008

Nobody at our house really loved this soup. I don't think it is seasoned enough. I probably won't make it again.

—catie

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16 Ratings

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Feb 05, 2008

my family said it was the best soup I ever made. I cooked the meat a lot longer by it's self so it was really tender and I used fresh mushrooms. They can't wait til I make it again

—ss_redmarc

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Nov 17, 2007

This soup is just what I was looking for and it taste super. My Mom use to add fresh dill to her mushroom soup, so delicious. thank you

—Waterlily

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Apr 18, 2008

This is an excellent recipe. I modified it a bit by using Marmite in the stock instead of beef stock and 3 veggie stock cubes with one cup of pearl barley and 6 cups of water. I used some scotch fillet I had in the freezer, added zucchini, carrots, swede and a parsnip to the recipe and put it all in the crockpot on high for 8 hours. The beef was even frozen. It is DIVINE. Absolutely divine, we're about to go and eat it but I've been sneaking bites. Oh and I used fresh picked field mushrooms as well, about 4 cups worth as they cook down to be quite small.

—DrMim

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Nov 30, 2009

This was the best! I love barley and found quick cooking barley. I used stew meat that I cut into smaller pieces. Also, had fresh mushrooms YUMMIE. My husband ate 4 bowls in one sitting---and he's not ususally a "soup guy". My new favorite soup!!

—DensHag

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Oct 28, 2010

The guys loved this rich hearty soup and my husband's friends even (a first!) asked for the recipe. I used already cut up stew meat instead of chuck roast, fresh mushrooms instead of dried, and farro (much like barley) instead of barley. I made the substitutions because that's what I had on hand - I was looking for a recipe to use the mushrooms and beef I already had. Glad I found this :) I boiled the stew meat and skimmed off the foam as directed. After skimming, I added the farro (barley) and cooked it with the beef (no pre-soaking) at a slow boil for about 20 minutes until al dente. I then added the quartered mushrooms and seasonings to the pot and reduced to a simmer. I cooked until the meat was very tender in about 2 1/2 hrs. It was very filling with some nice rustic crusty bread. Also ridiculously easy using meat already cut up and quick cooking barley. I only needed to chop the mushrooms and herbs and cooked everything in one pot so cleanup was a snap too. A winner at my house!

—Terri Michelle

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Nov 30, 2010

The whole family asked for seconds! Very good! I didn't have time to soak my barley, and when the meat was done the soup was thick, like oatmeal. So, I added some extra broth. You may want to have some extra broth on hand, also. I used 8 oz of fresh mushrooms - could have used a bit more.

—HappyInTheKitchen

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Nutrition

Calories
416 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
34.1 g
11%

Cholesterol
74 mg
25%

Fat
19.1 g
29%

Fiber
6.1 g
25%

Protein
29 g
58%

Sodium
993 mg
40%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Grandpa's Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 416
** Calories from Fat: 172

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 19.1g 29 %
** Saturated Fat 7.1g 36 %
** Cholesterol 74mg 25 %
** Sodium 993mg 40 %
** Potassium 1559mg 44 %
** Total Carbohydrates 34.1g 11 %
** Dietary Fiber 6.1g 25 %
** Protein 29g 58 %
** Sugars 0.2g
** Vitamin A 9 %
** Vitamin C 16 %
** Calcium 8 %
** Iron 50 %
** Thiamin 11 %
** Niacin 130 %
** Vitamin B6 18 %
** Magnesium 16 %
** Folate 12 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.