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Hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich beef barley soup, featuring tender beef chunks, bright orange carrots, and plump barley.
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Make this ultimate comfort food with minimal effort. This slow cooker beef barley soup features tender beef and savory vegetables in a rich broth, perfect for a cozy family dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry and season them with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until seared on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, rinsed barley, beef broth, water, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the slow cooker.
  4. Stir all ingredients together gently in the slow cooker.
  5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is very tender and the barley is cooked through.
  6. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
  7. Serve this hearty beef barley soup hot with crusty bread.

Notes

  • For a thicker soup, remove about 1 cup of the broth and mix it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir this mixture back into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  • If you prefer using ground beef barley soup, brown 1.5 pounds of ground beef separately and drain off any excess fat before adding it to the slow cooker.
  • This recipe freezes well for future weeknight dinners.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://yummagnet.com/easy-slow-cooker-beef-barley-soup-recipe/