Beef and Barley Stew
It was a rainy & cold day, and I wanted to make something for dinner to warm us all up. I started browsing the Internet and found a hearty and filling beef and barley stew recipe from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary that looked delicious. My daughter loved this stew and requested it for lunch the following day, although she did say she didn’t like the mushrooms. My husband and I both enjoyed the stew, but our son said he didn’t like it (the only soup he likes is clam chowder). I served this homemade beef and barley stew with a fresh loaf of crusty bread and a big garden salad.
Beef and Barley Stew
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 lbs of chuck, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 cups of beef broth
- 1-2 bay leaves
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 8 oz of mushrooms, sliced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 5-6 fingerling potatoes, diced
- ½ cup of pearled barley
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with a little water
- ½ cup frozen peas
How to Make Beef and Barley Stew
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized.
Once the beef is cooked, add the onion and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Add the beef broth and bay leaves, season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place it into the oven for 2-3 hours.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, fingerling potatoes, and pearled barley to the beef soup. Cover and cook on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the pearled barley is cooked through.
Mix the cornstarch with water and stir until completely dissolved. Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiling soup and stir.
Stir in the peas.
Remove from the heat and serve. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 lbs of chuck diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 8 cups of beef broth
- 1-2 bay leaves
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 8 oz of mushrooms sliced
- 3 stalks of celery diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 5-6 fingerling potatoes diced
- ½ cup of pearled barley
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with a little cold water
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized.
- Once the beef is cooked, add the onion and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the beef broth and bay leaves, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place it into the oven for 2-3 hours.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, fingerling potatoes, and pearled barley to the beef soup.
- Cover and cook on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the pearled barley is cooked through.
- Mix the cornstarch with water and stir until completely dissolved. Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiling soup and stir.
- Stir in the peas.
- Remove from the heat and serve. Enjoy.
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My husband would love this! He is very fond of barley for some reason…
I am going to make this for my family. My husband and three kids are all crazy about barley! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for the inspiration! Cold, rainy day in San Diego. Using some leftover grilled steak and baking honey wheat bread to go along. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day 🙂
I am in the process of making this and very excited about it.
I have made this beef stew many times. It’s a staple in my house when the weather gets colder. So delicious!
How long did you actually leave it in the oven? 2 or 3 hours (or somewhere in between?).
I’m making it right now, just cooked in the oven for 2 hours 15 minutes and now it’s on the stovetop. I was wondering if adding the veg after 2 hours and putting it back in the oven could work instead of the stovetop. I have to leave the house so will leave it on the stovetop for my husband to monitor (hope that works…haha!).
Aida,
Putting it back in the oven works great if you have to leave the house. I usually switch between the two methods depending on how busy my day is. I hope you enjoyed the recipe.
Pam
Hi.. does this recipe freeze well? Thanks!
Jennifer,
To be honest, I have never tried freezing it. If you do give it a try, please let me know how it turns out.
Pam
Why does your pin button not work? I want to save this but can not.
Diane,
It’s working fine from our end. When you are viewing the recipe, and touch the photo you want to pin, or hover over it with your mouse, it will show a red save or pin button in the top corner. Click and it will pin on your Pinterest account. I hope this helps.
-Pam
This is Diane ..thank you for your quick reply. Love your site and your recipes
Thanks, Diane!
-Pam
When do you add frozen peas
Amber,
You add them right after the cornstarch and before serving. I hope this helps.
-Pam