Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew with Vegetables

stew made of beef, barley, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms, in a white bowl

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew with Vegetables

4.4 Stars (667 Reviews)

Yield: 10 servings

prep time: 25

cook time: 6

total time: 6 25

This hearty, flavorful soup slow cooks with cubes of tender beef chuck roast, perfectly cooked vegetables, and plump, chewy pearled barley. Red wine and beef broth add depth to the beefy broth. Warm up a loaf of fresh sourdough bread in the oven, break off big hunks for dipping, and enjoy the ultimate comfort meal.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes (Top round is another option, just know that it will not be as flavorful and tender as chuck.)
Morton kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into ¼"-thick slices
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ½"-thick pieces
6 large cloves garlic, minced
4 medium-large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¾ cup pearled barley* (SEE NOTES)
1 bay leaf
chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

Instructions

Sprinkle beef cubes fairly generously with salt and pepper. If you own a slow cooker with a meat browning function, add the oil to the slow cooker and then brown the beef right in the slow cooker, searing beef on all sides. Otherwise use a large skillet over medium-high heat to heat the oil and then brown the beef. Drain off fat. If using a skillet, transfer beef to slow cooker. You will need a large slow cooker for this recipe, as it makes a big quantity (ours is a 7-quart size).
Add mushrooms, carrots, garlic, potatoes, onion, beef broth, wine, tomato paste, mustard, and thyme, and stir well to incorporate. Then stir in barley and add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Then turn heat to low and cook for 2 hours more, or until beef is very tender.
Serve hot, with fresh parsley sprinkled over the top. A good, crusty bread for dipping is always welcome.

Video

Notes

* For this recipe, where barley is added along with the rest of the ingredients and then cooks low and slow in a slow cooker, I recommend these cook timings:

For very soft barley - add the barley after you brown the beef, and then slow cook for 6 hours, until the soup is done.
For a firmer, chewier bite - add the barley just 1 to 2 hours before the soup is done.

* If you want to use quick barley, add it to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the soup is done. This kind of barley is already partially cooked, so it will have a softer bite and easily turns mushy when simmered too long.

* The slow cooking process gives you a soup with fabulously tender chunks of beef. So I highly recommend that you don’t cut the cook time short if the beef isn’t absolutely tender. But don’t overcook it, either, as the vegetables will turn mushy.

* This soup makes great leftovers. Store it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Or store it in the freezer, in a freezer-safe container, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in 30-second intervals in the microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 353kcal Carbohydrates: 23g Protein: 27g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 75mg Sodium: 556mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.