Soups & stews

Old Fashioned Beef Barley Stew

Name: Old Fashioned Beef Barley Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil (divided); 2 pounds beef (cubed and no larger than 3/4 inch) (See Note 1); 1 teaspoon salt (to taste); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (to taste); 1 cup onion (diced); 3 stalks celery (sliced); 2 large carrots (sliced or diced, or the equivalent in sliced baby carrots); 2 cloves garlic (smashed and minced); 1/2 cup red wine (or 3 ounces tomato paste, See Note 2); 1 cup diced tomatos (canned is fine); 6 cups beef broth (up to 8 cups or more, see Note 3); 1 cup barley (hulled or pearl, uncooked; don't use instant); 3 bay leaves; 2 springs fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary suggested; or 1/2 teaspoon dried, see Note 4); fresh parsley (garnish); Worcestershire sauce (a few splashes, optional for more flavor)

12 servings

servings

15 minutes

active time

1 hour 45 minutes

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil (divided)

2 pounds beef (cubed and no larger than 3/4 inch) (See Note 1)

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

1 cup onion (diced)

3 stalks celery (sliced)

2 large carrots (sliced or diced, or the equivalent in sliced baby carrots)

2 cloves garlic (smashed and minced)

1/2 cup red wine (or 3 ounces tomato paste, See Note 2)

1 cup diced tomatos (canned is fine)

6 cups beef broth (up to 8 cups or more, see Note 3)

1 cup barley (hulled or pearl, uncooked; don't use instant)

3 bay leaves

2 springs fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary suggested; or 1/2 teaspoon dried, see Note 4)

fresh parsley (garnish)

Worcestershire sauce (a few splashes, optional for more flavor)

Directions

Pat beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes and sear/brown on all sides. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan if necessary. Remove beef and set aside.

Add more oil if needed in the same pot and sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until softened (about 4 or 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up the flavorful bits from the bottom. Continue heating until the wine is reduced by half.

Return the beef to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth, barley, bay leaves, and thyme/rosemary—season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let it simmer for about 1-1.5 hours (less if you used pearl barley; longer if you used hulled barley), or until the beef and barley are tender.

Adjust seasonings, remove bay leaves and herb sprigs, and serve hot. Garnish with fresh parsley. Add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce if desired.

Nutrition

Serving Size

Calories

214 kcal

Total Fat

7 g

Saturated Fat

2 g

Unsaturated Fat

4 g

Trans Fat

0.01 g

Cholesterol

47 mg

Sodium

704 mg

Total Carbohydrate

15 g

Dietary Fiber

4 g

Total Sugars

2 g

Protein

21 g