When the weather turns cold, nothing warms you up quite like a bowl of Crock Pot Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms. This hearty slow cooker soup is loaded with tender chunks of beef, earthy mushrooms, sweet onions, and chewy pearl barley, all simmered together in a rich, savory broth. It’s the kind of comforting, one-pot meal that’s perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or freezing for later. With minimal prep and big flavor, this beef and mushroom barley soup will quickly become a go-to recipe in your Crock Pot rotation.
I love using stew meat in things other than traditional stew. You can definitely tell it is a versatile cut of meat and is great in the crock pot or for quick dinners. Be sure to check out the steak bites, the stew meat chili, and Crock Pot French Onion Stew.
This Crock Pot beef and barley soup with mushrooms is a winter favorite—rich, savory, and brimming with wholesome ingredients like tender stew meat, earthy mushrooms, and nutty pearl barley. It’s the perfect hands‑off meal for cozy nights. This stew is full of onion, celery, and garlic, and then lots of mushrooms, and of course, stew meat, all made heartier with barley. I am telling you all, this is how to make beef stew, especially if you have people who don’t love cooked carrots. This beef soup is divine.
What goes in Beef, Mushroom, and Barley Soup?
This soup is not a traditional beef and barley soup. This is closer to a mushroom and barley soup with beef stew meat in it. Here are the beef stew ingredients you will need.
Beef Stew Meat – Beef stew meat can be a bargain to buy. You can also buy a cheap roast or round steak and cut it up into cubes for this recipe too.
Barley – Pearly barley is what I used in this soup. Now, some stores may be running low on pearl barley. I have been able to find it on Amazon.
Onions – White or sweet onions work best in this beef stew recipe.
Celery – More vegetables hidden in the stew the better. If you don’t love celery, green peppers could also be used in this recipe.
Mushrooms – Baby Bella mushrooms are best in this recipe. However, plain white buttons can also be used. They just aren’t as woody, so don’t cut them as thin if you use them.
Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is best but the jarred minced garlic will also work.
Beef Base – Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef is my go-to in all thing beef base or even beef broth. You can also use beef stock in this recipe.
Can of French Onion Soup – Progresso French Onion Soup is something
Butter – The flavors of the vegetables and beef come from sauteing in a cast-iron skillet. Butter makes it just so much better.
Garlic Salt and Pepper Blend – Kinders “The Blend” is my obsession. It is a combination of salt, pepper, and garlic. I suppose I have an obsession with garlic.
How to Make Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms Instead of Carrots?
Making this stew begin with a cast iron skillet. Get the cast iron skillet hot with several tablespoons of butter in it. Then add the rough chopped onions, diced celery, and minced garlic to the pan. After the onions have started to just turn brown, top the vegetables off with the sliced mushrooms.
Stir the vegetables to combine and continue to saute. While they saute, turn the crock pot to low and dump the can of French onion soup into the crock pot. Continue to stir the vegetables.
Dump the vegetables into the crock pot with the French onion soup and stir into the liquid. In the same pan add a few more tablespoons of butter. Season the beef stew meat with the blend and then add the beef to the cast iron pan. Continue to brown the beef. When the beef is browned on all sides, stir in the beef base into the beef in the pan.
In the crock pot, add the barley to the vegetables. Rinse the barley before adding to the crock pot. Stir the barley into the mixture. Then top off with the beef stew meat. Stir the beef into the mixture and then pour water into the crock pot so the ingredients are all submerged.
Cook on low for a minimum of four hours. I have cooked this soup for four hours and as long as 8 hours. If you cook it longer, you will want to add more water than for just 4 hours. The barley was soft after just four hours though.
Dish big generous helpings of this soup out! Everyone will love this version of beef and barley soup with the mixture of onions and mushrooms in the soup.
Tips & Variations
Optional Browning Shortcut: If pressed for time, skip browning the beef—but browning adds deep flavor.
Veggie Swaps: Replace mushrooms with root veggies like carrots or parsnips for a twist, or add thyme or rosemary for herbaceous depth.
Storage & Freezing: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months—thaw overnight before reheating.
Adjusting Thickness: To thicken, uncover and simmer on low to reduce broth, or stir in tomato paste.
Beef Stew Recipes
Looking for non-traditional beef stew recipes, I have you covered. Here are some variations to a traditional beef stew recipe.
Crock Pot French Onion Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Rice
Stew Meat Chili
Garlic Pepper Steak Bites
Cajun Bacon Wrapped Steak Bites on the Grill or Air Fryer
Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms
Crock Pot beef and barley soup with mushrooms is my new favorite soup to make this winter. This soup is full of onion, celery, and garlic and then lots of mushrooms and of course stew meat all made heartier with barley.
Get the cast iron skillet hot with several tablespoons of butter in it. Then add the rough chopped onions, diced celery, and minced garlic to the pan. After the onions have started to just turn brown, top the vegetables off with the sliced mushrooms.
Stir the vegetables to combine and continue to sauté. While they sauté, turn the crock pot unto low and dump the can of French onion soup into the crock pot. Continue to stir the vegetables.
Dump the vegetables into the crock pot with the French onion soup and stir into the liquid.
In the same pan add a few more tablespoons of butter. Season the beef stew meat with the blend and then add the beef to the cast iron pan. Continue to brown the beef. When the beef is browned on all sides, stir in the beef base into the beef in the pan.
In the crock pot, add the barley to the vegetables. Rinse the barley before adding to the crock pot. Stir the barley into the mixture. Then top off with the beef stew meat. Stir the beef into the mixture and then pour water into the crock pot so the ingredients are all submerged.
Cook on low for at least four hours and no more than eight hours.
A working mom of two very active teenagers. My husband and I gave up running the 80-cow dairy farm that also included a couple of hundred acres of corn and soybeans to both work to support the agricultural industry. We still have about 20 head of dairy heifers and cows to help my kids appreciate the effort it takes to raise livestock. I consider myself a foodie as I love cooking and experimenting with recipes. My family just wishes I would make the same thing twice. Find my other blog, FarmWifeDrinks.com for all things cocktails.
