Description
A warm, comforting soup with tender beef, chewy barley, and earthy herbs, perfect for busy days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
- 1 cup barley
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Chop the onion, slice the carrots, and dice the celery. Trim any excess fat from the beef, pat cubes dry. If desired, sear the beef cubes in a hot skillet until browned, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- In the slow cooker, combine the beef, barley, chopped onion, sliced carrots, diced celery, beef broth, diced tomatoes, dried thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well to distribute ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours, or until the beef is tender and the barley has softened. Adjust salt and pepper to taste toward the end.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
For a richer flavor, brown the beef first and use pearl barley. Add greens like spinach towards the end of cooking for extra nutrition.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 360 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 70mg