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beef barley soup recipe best homemade from scratch healthy

Beef and Barley Stew

By Kimberly Killebrew
This Beef and Barley Stew is wholesome, hearty, and positively packed with flavor!
4.95 from 67 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6

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

Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 48gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 765mgPotassium: 1384mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3170IUVitamin C: 15.3mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 5.6mg
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
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