This wholesome and nutritious Beef and Barley Stew recipe is positively packed with FLAVOR! Easy to make and great for leftovers, it’s sure to become a part of your regular meal rotation!
Fork tender beef, plump nutty barley, a vibrant array of vegetables, and a deliciously rich broth come together in this satisfying Beef Barley Soup recipe. As delicious as it is right off the stovetop, it makes for fabulous leftovers after the flavors have had more time to develop!
I love a good beef barley soup. Not only is it great cool-weather comfort food, it’s absolutely loaded with healthy ingredients. Barley has a wonderful and unique flavor and coupled with umami-laden beef, it gives this soup has an incredible depth of flavor. This Beef Barley Soup packs in a variety of vegetables but you are more than welcome to add or substitute any other veggies of your choice.
Can You Freeze Beef and Barley Stew?
Yes you can! Freeze the whole batch or in individual portions in ziplock bags and you’ll have a ready meal in the time it simply takes to reheat it. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Beef and Barley Stew Recipe
Let’s get started!
Choose a cut with generous marbling as that will produce the best flavor.  Cut the beef into 3/4 inch chunks, pat dry with a paper towel, and season with salt.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides, working in batches so as not to overcrowd.
Browning the beef is absolutely essential to achieving the best flavor so do not skip this step! Â Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef and set aside.
This is what the Dutch oven is going to look like by the time you’re done searing the beef. Â Don’t even think about cleaning it out. Â That is another secret to achieving ultimate flavor. Â When we add the veggies and liquid we’re going to “deglaze” the bottom of this pan…helloooo flavah!
Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and saute the onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, spinach, garlic and herbs and cook for another minute.
Return the beef to the pot.
Add the wine, beef stock, bay leaf, salt and tomato paste. Â Stir to combine.
You have two cooking methods to choose from:
1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on the lowest rack for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
2) Bring to a boil on the stove top, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60-90 minutes or until the beef is fork tender.
While the stew is cooking, add the barley to 2 cups water in a medium pot. Â Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Â Strain the excess liquid. Â Add the barley to the stew and continue to cook for at least 10 more minutes, preferably up to an hour. Â The longer it cooks, the more tender the beef and the more flavor the stew will have. Â Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve garnished with fresh parsley.
Enjoy!
Be sure to also try our Chicken Barley Soup!
For more delicious beef stews be sure to try our:
- Hungarian Goulash
- Guinness Stew
- PörköltÂ
- Beef Bourguignon
- Sega Wat
- Hachee
- Old Fashioned Beef Stew
- Domoda
- Szegedin Goulash
- Kalops (Swedish Beef Stew)
Beef and Barley Stew
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds beef sirloin tip , cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms , cleaned and quartered
- 2 cups fresh spinach , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme , or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano , or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 large onion , diced
- 1 large carrot , diced
- 1 stalk celery , diced
- 1 cup dry red wine (e.g., pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon)
- 3 1/2 cups quality beef broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup quick cooking barley
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley , chopped
Instructions
- Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel and season with salt.Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef cubes on all sides, working in batches so as to not overcrowd. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef and set aside.
- Heat the remaining tablespoons of olive oil and add the onion, carrot and celery to the Dutch oven. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, spinach, garlic and herbs and cook for another minute. Return the beef to the pot and add the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt and stir to combine.
- Two cooking methods: 1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on the lowest rack for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender.2) Bring to a boil on the stove top, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60-90 minutes or until the beef is fork tender.
- While the stew is cooking, add the barley to the water in a medium pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Add the barley to the stew and continue to cook for at least 10 more minutes, preferably up to an hour. The longer the stew cooks the more tender the beef and flavorful the stew will be. Add salt and pepper to taste.Serve the stew garnished with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Adapted from Vikki Krinsky’s Beef Stew With Barley
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet February 8, 2014
Anna B says
I’m making this for the first time tonight. It already looks delicious, haven’t tasted it yet. I wanted to let you know you left out the small step of re-adding the beef to the pot in your write up. Fortunately, it was in the picture section, so I knew what to do.
I added potatoes because I can’t resist a chance to add potatoes. Wish me luck!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Anna, thanks for catching that, I’ve updated it. Happy eating! :)
Greg Australia says
Taste test seems very nice,full of flavour. we will reheat and eat it tomorrow. I used chuck steak which I pressure cooked the meat and barley separately and then started the cooking process on the stove top.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, I’m glad you enjoyed it, Greg, thank you! Leftovers of this soup taste great, you may just need to add a little more broth because the barley tends to swell even further and soak up all the liquid.
Christy says
This was delicious! Hearty, sophisticated flavor and great presentation. I substituted farro for the barley, adding it directly to the stew to cook for approximately 45 minutes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the feedback, Christy, so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Jessica says
I made this stew last night and it was delicious! My whole family liked it, which hardly ever happens. I will definitely be making it again. Yummy!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Waaahooo! I’m thrilled to hear that, Jessica, thanks so much for the feedback!
Patty Giovinazzo says
This is the best beef stew I have ever made. For years I’ve been trying to recreate my mom’s beef and barley stew with poor results – lousy texture and weak taste – but this was fantastic. My family loved it and though my mom’s was delicious this stew is just that little bit better, and who would’ve thought spinach would be such a good addition, even days later for lunch.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Patty, I’m so thrilled to hear that and really appreciate your taking the time to leave feedback – thank you!
Kiara says
I made this today – delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, so glad to hear that, Kiara! Thanks for the feedback!
Anonymous says
Thanks for the yummy recipe. My family love it- especially my 2 year old niece who tipped the bowl to get all the goodness.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful! I’m always especially happy when the littlest guests approve :)
Heather Lampman says
I’m from Boston. What do you mean by “Sirloin Tip”? Ours doesn’t look like that…..never a roast cut. Ours is “Sirloin Flap”. I’ve also seen California “Sirloin Tip Roast”. Yours doesn’t look like that either. So…..I’m confused……and I certainly know how much difference the cut of beef can make to a recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Heather! Google “sirloin tip” and check out the second link (“the meat source”). You’ll see a picture of the same cut as well as some different terms that are used for the cut depending on which region of the U.S. you live in. Happy cooking!
linda abrams says
have you ever added the barley directly to the stew and let it cook in the stew
The Daring Gourmet says
Linda, that’s actually what I always do – this time was the only exception. You can absolutely add the barley directly to the stew, just add a little extra liquid so that it doesn’t become too thick.
linda abrams says
thanks! Trying it now!
The Daring Gourmet says
That’s great, Linda, I hope you enjoy it!
Brandy says
Looks and sounds delicious! I’m going to make it soon. Good luck with both your entries. I’m looking forward to the next beef stew recipe. Quick question: I have never seen a stew recipe that contained chopped spinach–do you think it enhances the flavor or do you add it for other reasons?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brandy, thanks! The spinach primarily adds nutrition and color. You will love the stew just as much without it.