Beef Barley Pickle Soup with Salted Cucumbers
A wholesome and hearty Siberian-style soup. A simple recipe for pickle soup made with beef broth, pearl barley, and salted cucumbers. It’s rich, warming, and pleasantly surprising with its deep flavor.
Updated : 20 November, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
700 grams
Beef ribs
2.5 liter
Water
1.5
Onions
1
Carrot
4
Potato
2
Garlic
4 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
4
Salted cucumbers
120 grams
Pearl barley
200 milliliters
Brine
to taste
Ground pepper mix
to taste
Greens
to taste
Laurel leaf
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to easily prepare pickle soup on beef broth with barley and salted cucumbers? First prepare all ingredients and spices for a rich, hearty Siberian-style soup.
Step 2
Pour 2.5 liters (about 10.5 cups) of cold water into a large pot. Add 700 g (1.5 lb) beef ribs cut into portions, half an onion, and a piece of carrot.
Step 3
Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 4
Heat a pan and add 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil. Add finely chopped onion.
Step 5
Grate one carrot on a coarse grater and add it to the pan.
Step 6
Stir and sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the carrot softens, about 5 minutes over high heat.
Step 7
Skim off the foam from the boiling broth. Cover and continue cooking the beef ribs.
Step 8
Dice two salted cucumbers and add them to the pan. Mix and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Step 9
Add 2-3 ladles of beef broth to the pan. Cover and simmer the vegetables for 5 minutes over low heat.
Step 10
Add 120 g (about ⅔ cup) pearl barley that has been soaked for 2 hours to the pot. Cover and cook the beef with the barley for 40 minutes.
Step 11
Dice four peeled potatoes. Add them to the pot, cover, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook for 3 minutes.
Step 12
Dice two more salted cucumbers and add them to the pot. Remove the carrot piece and onion from the broth.
Step 13
Add the sautéed vegetable mixture to the pot. Stir and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat, or until the potatoes are fully soft.
Step 14
Pour in 150-200 ml (⅔-1 cup) cucumber brine. Cover and cook the soup for another 2-3 minutes over high heat.
Step 15
Add pressed garlic, dried herbs, bay leaf, salt, and a mix of black and red pepper to taste. Stir well.
Step 16
Cover and let the soup rest for 5-7 minutes off the heat.
Step 17
Ladle the hearty pickle soup into bowls and serve with finely chopped green onions.
Step 18
Cook together, cook simply, cook at home the most delicious meals from simple ingredients! Enjoy!
Author note
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