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Cozy Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup: Easy Comfort Food

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This hearty slow cooker beef and barley soup is the ultimate comfort food, featuring tender beef, wholesome barley, and a rich, savory broth. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it meal that fills your home with an irresistible aroma and delivers deep, satisfying flavor with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs (900 g) beef chuck or stew meat, cut into cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup (200 g) pearl barley
  • 6 cups (1.4 liters) beef broth (preferably low-sodium)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef: Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the beef and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the same skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits.
  3. Deglaze the pan: Pour about ½ cup of beef broth into the skillet and stir to scrape up caramelized bits. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
  4. Assemble in the slow cooker: Add the browned beef, sautéed vegetables, pearl barley, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in the remaining beef broth and stir to combine.
  5. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, check seasoning and add more broth or water if too thick.
  6. Finish and serve: Remove bay leaves. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh parsley just before serving. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the beef—it adds deep flavor. Use low-sodium broth to control salt. The soup thickens as it sits; add extra broth when reheating. For best flavor, make it a day ahead. For gluten-free, substitute barley with brown rice or quinoa.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker beef and barley soup, beef barley soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe, hearty soup, winter soup, meal prep soup

Find it online: https://forkmila.com/cozy-slow-cooker-beef-and-barley-soup-easy-comfort-food/