A slow-cooked lamb and barley soup that is layered with flavour and goodness. Lamb is packed with protein and iron making this comforting, hearty soup a great dinner option.
This recipe is on regular rotation for us, so we hope your family has found a new dinner favourite too. Let's get cooking.
Why you will love this easy lamb and barley soup
- This easy recipe uses one of my favourite types of cooking, letting the heat do most of the work for you! A short prep time to create a base flavour, followed by easy slow cooking that develops the flavour and creates deliciously tender meat. Yum and the aroma will have you ready to eat!
- A great recipe for using cheap cuts of lamb - choose a lamb cut with bone-in, as slow-cooking the lamb bones will add a delicious layer of flavour to the soup.
- Use your leftover lamb - This recipe is perfect for using up your leftover lamb roast, bones and meat!
- Inspired by our sweet potato fish pie, our lamb and barley soup is another healthy comfort food recipe. A hearty meal packed with nutritious ingredients, perfect for the colder months.
Jump to:
Ingredients and substitutions
- Lamb shoulder chops - For substitutions, most lamb cuts on the bone work well in this recipe like lamb shanks or lamb necks. Or for a leaner option use diced lamb with the fat trimmed.
- Cooking oil - we use canola but choose your preferred non-flavoured cooking oil.
- Onions
- Garlic cloves
- Beef stock - use the best quality available to you.
- Water
- Canned tomatoes - again choose the best quality canned tomatoes available to you.
- 1 Bay leaf
- Dried rosemary - substitute with 1 spring of fresh rosemary, remove the stem before serving.
- Dried thyme - substitute with 1 spring of fresh thyme, again remove the stem before serving.
- Pearl barley
- Potato - medium, white
- Carrots
- A tablespoon of red wine vinegar - optional but we highly recommend adding before serving for a delicious flavour boost.
- Salt and pepper - to taste.
To serve:
- Fresh parsley - finely chopped
- Fresh bread
See recipe card below for quantities.
Step by step instructions
First, embrace your inner chef and start with a little mise en place. Having all your ingredients prepared will help speed up the initial steps.
- In a large heavy-based pan heat half the oil to medium-high heat. Add the lamb to the hot pot and brown on both sides then set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the onions to the pan and cook till soft around 5 minutes, don't let them get too brown. Then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Add the beef stock, water and canned tomatoes. Return the lamb as well as any resting juices to the pan. Then add the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and barley.
- Bring the soup to a boil, season to taste, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid.
- Allow the soup to simmer gently for an hour and a half, stirring often to prevent the barley from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add your potato and carrots, and let the soup simmer until the vegetables are soft and the meat is tender about another 30 minutes. Remove the lamb from the soup, pull the meat off the bone, then return to the pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Take off the heat and add the red wine vinegar.
To serve
Sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley and serve with fresh bread (because every delicious hearty soup really should be dipped with bread) and enjoy!
Related dinner recipes
Looking for other dinner recipes the whole family will love? Try our quick and easy venison stir fry or one pan chicken and chorizo orzo dish.
Or for more lamb dinner inspiration our lamb koftas or pulled lamb tacos are a must-try!
Alternative slow cooker method
This lamb and barley soup will work well in the slow cooker as well. But don't skip the initial steps at the cooktop, or your final dish will lack flavour.
Follow our recipe instructions up to simmering the soup. At this stage, once your soup has come up to a boil it can be added to the slow cooker along with the potato and carrots, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook in the slow cooker on high for 6 hours, until the meat falls off the bone, delicious!
Using leftover lamb
This soup recipe is perfect for using up leftover roasted lamb, use the lamb bones and meat for a delicious dish.
Simply miss the step of browning the meat and start by cooking the onions and garlic as per the recipe. Then add approximately 400 grams of leftover lamb meat to the pan, continue with the recipe and add the lamb bones along with the stock.
The addition of the lamb bones will add another layer of delicious flavour to this soup yum, remove the bones before serving.
Storage
This lamb and barley soup recipe keeps amazing well and is one of those recipes that improves with flavour as it sits and is reheated.
Leftovers can to stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat the soup slowly in a pan at the cooktop, cover with a lid and heat through till piping hot.
Chef tips
- Don't overcrowd the pan when browning the lamb, do it in batches if needed.
- Take time to build the base flavour, brown the lamb and slowly cook the onions and garlic and delicious flavour to your final dish.
Did you try this dish? Please leave a rating and review below. And if you have any questions about the recipe, you can ask us in the comment section below too.
Happy cooking!
Recipe
Lamb and barley soup
Equipment
- 1 Large heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 600 g lamb shoulder chops Sub with lamb shanks or lamb neck. See note 1
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil We use canola
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 litre beef stock See note 2
- 1 litre water
- 400 g canned tomatoes See note 2
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh
- ¾ cup pearl barley
- 1 potato peeled and diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper Season to taste
To serve (optional)
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Fresh bread
Instructions
- Prep all the ingredients.
- Heat half of the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Once the pan is hot add the lamb and brown on both sides. Cook in batches if required.600 g lamb shoulder chops
- Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Lower the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.2 onions
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.3 garlic cloves
- Add the beef stock, water and canned tomatoes.1 litre beef stock, 1 litre water, 400 g canned tomatoes
- Return the lamb along with any resting juices to the pan, then add the bay leaf rosemary, thyme and pearl barley.1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¾ cup pearl barley
- Bring the soup to a boil then season to taste, reduce to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid.Salt and pepper
- Simmer for 1 and ½ hours, stirring often to prevent the barley from sticking to the bottom of the pan
- Add the potato and carrots and simmer for a further 30 minutes, until vegetables and meat are tender.1 potato, 2 carrots
- Remove the lamb from the pot and pull the meat off the bone. return the pulled lamb to the soup. Check and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Take the soup off the heat and add the red wine vinegar.1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- To serve, sprinkled with the chopped parsley and fresh crusty bread on the side.Freshly chopped parsley
