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Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

Tender cubes of beef, barley, carrots, green onions, and celery come together in a rich beef broth with garlic, black pepper, thyme, and fresh parsley. The soup is hearty and nourishing, with a gently herbed, peppery flavor and satisfying barley, making it a comforting choice for a cold-weather lunch or dinner.

  • Prep20 mins
  • Cook6 hrs 10 mins
  • Serves10
  • DifficultyEasy
Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

50 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
56 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
8 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
93 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
1 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

46
Heart Health
47
Metabolic
50
Digestive
24
Inflammatory
53
Performance
51
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Gather the ingredients.

  2. 2

    Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add beef and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.

  3. 3

    Add water to the skillet. Stir over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits with a spoon. Transfer the liquid and browned bits to the slow cooker.

  4. 4

    Add remaining water, broth, carrots, green onions, celery, barley, and parsley. Cover and cook on Low until vegetables and barley are tender, 6 to 8 hours.

  5. 5

    Stir in thyme just before serving.

About This Recipe

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup is an American dinner recipe made with 14 ingredients. It takes about 6 hrs 30 mins, serves 10, and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Barley, Beef Broth, Black Pepper, and Boneless Beef Short Ribs. Each serving provides about 269.53 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup?
It is an American soup recipe made with 14 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch or soup.
What is Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup made of?
The main ingredients are Barley, Beef Broth, Black Pepper, Boneless Beef Short Ribs, Carrot. The full list of 14 is above.
What goes well with Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup?
Explore these American side-dish recipes.
How long does it take to make Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup?
About 6 hrs 30 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 6 hrs 10 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 269.53 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 14 ingredients and 5 steps.
Is Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup healthy?
Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup has an easyChef Pro health score of 50/100. Per serving, it provides 269.53 calories and 17.61 g of protein, or 35% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 292.26 mg (13% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 3.3 g (17% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 6.32 g (13% of the Daily Value). It contains Wheat, Gluten, Celery, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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