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From the kitchen

Beef Barley

Pull out your slow cooker, It’s soup season!

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From the kitchen: Beef Barley

There’s something about the first hint of cooler weather that immediately makes me want to pull out the slow cooker and make something warm and hearty. Beef barley is one of those classic comfort meals that doesn’t need anything fancy—just simple ingredients, a little time, and a house that smells amazing by dinner.

I made this on one of those days when I wanted dinner working for me while I handled everything else. I used stew meat because it’s what I had on hand, but if I were planning ahead, chuck roast would be my first choice. A good sear, fresh herbs, red wine, lots of vegetables, and letting the slow cooker do the rest turned it into exactly what I was craving.

It’s cozy, filling, and the kind of meal that just needs a good piece of crusty bread alongside it. Save this one for your next soup night!

From Christen's kitchen

The recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs beef stew meat or chuck roast, cut into 1–1½-inch pieces
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp adobo seasoning
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour, for coating the beef
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, for searing
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2–3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1–2 sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 additional cup beef stock, reserved
  • ½ cup pearl barley
  • 1½ cups frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

  1. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and adobo, then lightly toss with flour until evenly coated.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, sear the beef until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, beef bouillon, and 4 cups of beef stock.
  4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, until the beef is tender.
  5. After 4 hours, remove the fresh herb stems and stir in the ½ cup barley and 1½ cups peas. Add some or all of the reserved cup of beef stock as needed—the barley will absorb liquid as it cooks.
  6. Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for 1 additional hour, or until the barley is tender.
  7. To thicken, ladle about ½ cup of the hot broth from the slow cooker into a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons cornstarch until completely smooth, then stir the slurry back into the soup. Allow it to cook for another 10–15 minutes, or until the broth reaches your desired consistency.
  8. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or Worcestershire sauce before serving.
  9. Chef’s Note: Stew meat works great here, but chuck roast is my first choice. It becomes incredibly tender during the long cook and adds even more richness to the broth.