Beef and Barley Stew

It was a freezing cold day and I wanted to make something for dinner that would warm us all up. I started browsing the Internet and found a hearty and filling soup from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary that looked delicious. I adapted the recipe a bit to use what I had on hand. I filled it up with veggies and meat so it turned out to be a thick stew instead of a soup - perfect for the cold day. My daughter loved this stew and requested it for lunch the following day, she did say she didn't like the mushrooms. My husband and I both really enjoyed the stew as well but our son said he didn't like it (the only soup he likes is clam chowder). I served this stew with a fresh loaf of crusty bread for a filling and satisfying dinner.

Beef and Barley Stew:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Adapted recipe from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

• 2 tsp olive oil (divided)
• 2 lbs of lean chuck, diced
• 1 small sweet 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
• 1/2 cup of pearled barley
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with a little water

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon 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, bay leaves and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place into the oven for 2-3 hours.

Heat the remaining teaspoon 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 stove top over medium low heat for 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the pearled barley is cooked through. Mix a bit of cornstarch with some water and stir until completely dissolved. Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiling soup and stir. Remove from the heat and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the love of Cooking.net