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Beef and Barley Stew

Beef and Barley Stew Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 8 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup pearled barley
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Method
 

  1. Season beef with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef in two batches, about 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute.
  3. Deglaze with 1 cup broth, scraping up browned bits. Add remaining broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, and beef with any juices. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes.
  4. Stir in barley, cover, and simmer 40 to 50 minutes more, until beef is fork-tender and barley is plump.
  5. Remove bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley. Serve hot.

Notes

This stew tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days. If the stew thickens too much after chilling, thin it with a splash of beef broth when reheating.