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A bowl of beef and barley soup with carrots, cabbage, ground meat, and barley, served with slices of bread on the side.
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Beef Barley and Cabbage Soup

Featuring hearty ground beef and nutty barley in a deeply savory soup base that is craveworthy along with cabbage for that subtle sweetness and texture.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Julie Chiou

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 pound ground beef 80/20 or 90/10
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 3 medium carrots chopped into ¼” rounds
  • ½ head of green cabbage sliced, about 2 cups total
  • ½ cup dry pearled barley
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a 6 quart or larger dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat then add your oil.
    1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until browned and break apart into smaller pieces.
    1 pound ground beef
    Cooked ground beef in a red pot with a wooden spatula, shown from above.
  • Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and tender, about 3 minutes.
    1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
    Ground beef and chopped onions are being cooked in a large pot, with a wooden spoon resting inside.
  • Add the carrots and cabbage to the pot. Stir and cook the cabbage down slightly until it’s not completely overflowing.
    3 medium carrots, ½ head of green cabbage
    A red pot filled with cooked ground beef, sliced carrots, and shredded cabbage, with a wooden spoon resting inside.
  • Once cabbage has cooked down and there is room, add the barley into the pot, stir, then add the tomato sauce, beef stock, and bay leaves.
    ½ cup dry pearled barley, 2 cups tomato sauce, 3 cups beef stock, 2 bay leaves
    A pot of soup with ground beef, cabbage, carrots, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and broth being poured in, with a wooden spoon in the pot.
  • Stir to incorporate then bring to a boil. Once the soup is to a boil, reduce heat to get a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Check on it periodically. When finished, barley should still be slightly chewy and have doubled in size. If more liquid is needed, add more beef stock.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    Salt and pepper
  • Remove bay leaves and serve warm!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving (471 grams) | Calories: 306 kcal | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 18 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 54 mg | Sodium: 711 mg | Potassium: 942 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 8 g

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