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Cozy Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew with Root Vegetables

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This hearty stew features tender beef, chewy pearl barley, and sweet root vegetables in a rich, silky broth. It’s a comforting, hands-off meal that started as a happy accident and has become a favorite for cold days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
  • 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth (plus 1 cup water, if needed)
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
  • Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Sear the beef: Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear beef for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion to the same skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  3. Deglaze the pan: Pour in about ½ cup of the beef broth and scrape up all browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let simmer for a minute, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
  4. Layer the ingredients: Add carrots, parsnips, and celery to the slow cooker. Sprinkle rinsed pearl barley evenly over the vegetables. Place seared beef on top. Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Add the liquid: Pour remaining 3 ½ cups of beef broth over everything. The liquid should just barely cover the ingredients. If needed, add up to 1 cup of water. Do not overfill.
  6. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. The stew is ready when the beef is fork-tender and the barley is soft but still has a slight chew.
  7. Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If too thick, stir in a splash of warm broth or water. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and thyme.

Notes

Don’t rush the sear; it builds deep flavor. Cut vegetables into uniform ½-inch pieces for even cooking. Resist lifting the lid during cooking. For a richer flavor, add a splash of red wine when deglazing the pan. The stew thickens as it sits; add broth when reheating.

Nutrition

Keywords: beef and barley stew, slow cooker stew, root vegetable stew, comfort food, winter stew, hearty stew

Find it online: https://sparklechew.com/cozy-slow-cooker-beef-and-barley-stew-with-root-vegetables/