This comforting Ground Beef Barley Soup is a delicious low-glycemic soup with ground beef that whole family will enjoy. This recipe isn’t as high in net carbs as you might imagine, but see the link below for a similar soup that’s lower in carbs.
PIN Ground Beef and Barley Soup to try it later!
I love making soup with whatever I find in the freezer or fridge, and this Ground Beef Barley Soup was one of those happy experiments that turned out to be a real winner. The soup has both vegetable and beef broth for richness of flavor, and barley is one of my favorite comfort-food ingredients that’s also very nutritious. If you haven’t tried barley in soup, I bet you’ll be surprised how tasty it is in this recipe! And if you check the nutritional information you might also be surprised that this soup is relatively low in net carbs.
Get new recipes via email:
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
Want a lower-carb version of this soup?
If you’d like a low-carb version of this soup, check out Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef and Cauliflower Soup, which is just as delicious! Or just make soup following the recipe here, but switch out the barley for 1-2 cups of frozen cauliflower rice.
How to Make Ground Beef Barley Soup:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Start by browning the ground beef (called beef mince if you’re in Europe) in a small amount of olive oil.
- I like ground beef in soup, but I don’t like the flavor of beef fat so sometimes I rinse the cooked ground beef with VERY HOT water before I use it in the soup. your choice on that.
- Another option for removing excess fat from soup with ground beef is using a Stock Skimmer (affiliate link) like this one to scoop the fat off when the soup is cooking.
- Put the rinsed beef back in the pan, then push it to the side, add a little more olive oil if needed, and saute the onions and garlic.
- Add the beef stock and vegetable stock (or canned broth), dried parsley, and dried thyme and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add the carrots and celery and simmer for 30 minutes more.
- Even though I rinsed the ground beef, there’s now a little bit of fat on the top of the soup that I’ll skim off with the stock skimmer.
- Then add the barley and cook about 30 minutes more. (You may want to add a little water at this point if you think it needs it.)
- Cook the soup until the barley is done but still slightly chewy, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Serve Ground Beef and Barley Soup piping hot and enjoy!
More Comforting Soups:
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Soup with Cabbage
Chicken (or Turkey) Barley Soup
Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup with Cauliflower Rice
Chicken Soup with Collards and Lemon
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 T minced garlic (or less if you’re not that crazy about garlic)
- 6 cups homemade beef stock or canned beef broth (see notes)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 2 T balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large dutch-oven type pan; then saute the ground beef until it’s cooked through and lightly browned.
- If desired, put the ground beef into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with VERY HOT water to remove the fat. (This is optional, but I think it improves the flavor and it makes the soup lower in fat. If you don’t have a fine mesh strainer, you can skim off some fat when the soup is cooked.)
- Put ground beef back in the pan, push to one side, add 1 tsp. more olive oil (if needed) and then saute the onions and garlic until they are starting to soften.
- Add the homemade beef stock , vegetable stock, dried parsley, and dried thyme and let soup cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes.
- While soup simmers finely chop the carrots and celery.
- After 30 minutes, add chopped vegetables to the soup and simmer for about 30 minutes more.
- Then add the barley and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. (Before you add the barley you may want to skim off any fat that’s floated to the top, especially if you didn’t rinse the ground beef. You may also want to add a little more water at this point.)
- When the barley is done but still slightly chewy, turn off heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar, season soup with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve hot.
Notes
If you don’t have homemade beef stock, use 3 cans beef broth and a little water to make 6 cups.
This soup freezes or reheats well, although the barley soaks up the liquid so you may want to add water when you re-heat it. It’s family-friendly, and uses ingredients you may often keep on hand, so you may want to make a double batch for winter meals.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 270Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6.4gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1541mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 26g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Ground Beef Barley Soup would be phase 2 or 3 for the original South Beach Diet, due to the carrots and barley. If you wanted to make a lower-glycemic (and lower carb) version of this recipe, you could use more beef and celery and omit the carrots. Soup with barley will probably be too high in carbs for a strict low-carb diet plan but you could make a tasty low-carb version of this soup by replacing the barley with 1-2 cups of frozen cauliflower rice. Or check out Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef and Cauliflower Soup for a similar soup that’s low in carbs.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more tasty soups! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2011. The recipe was last updated with more information and a low-carb option in 2021.
Share This:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
Print
Pin
Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Join the Conversation (0)
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
Hi, I'm Alex!
I love sharing easy, healthy, and family-friendly recipes that anyone can make at home.
Be the first to comment on this recipe!