I stole this from a website, but I love it
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1 pound of cut up beef stew meat
- 7 cups of water
- 1/2 cup of barley
- 1 8-oz bag baby carrots
- 2 each stalks of celery
- 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic or garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon worcester sauce
- 1 each whole bay leaf
- Carbohydrate 1.203455 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.02088 g
- Fiber 0.220790003156662 g
- Protein 0.124625 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0066204 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (243g)
- Sodium 23.9028 mg
- Sugar 0.982664996843338 g
- Trans Fat 0.0046022 g
- Calories 5 calories
Step-by-step
- Chop & Slice your vegetables according to desired size
- Pan sear the meat.
- Saute the onion, garlic, and celery first or
- Place all ingredients into a large pot, except your Barley, Bring to a boil
- Reduce to medium heat, simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally
- Place Barley into mixture, simmer for another 1 hour
- CrockPot:
- Place all ingredients into a crockpot cook on Low for 6-8hrs
Throwing all soup ingredients into a pot at once results in mushy vegetables and unevenly cooked grains. Pearl barley requires distinct thermal management because starch granules swell slowly as they absorb liquid. Adding the grain during the final hour of simmering prevents it from disintegrating into a thick porridge while allowing enough starch release to give the broth body. Before the liquid goes in, searing the stew meat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven develops foundational savory depth through the Maillard reaction. Brown the beef cubes in batches over medium-high heat, ensuring moisture evaporates before caramelization occurs on the metal surface. Deglazing the pot with a splash of water captures those browned bits to enrich the base. Aromatics like onions and celery soften alongside the meat before the remaining seven cups of liquid join the vessel. Dried herbs such as thyme release fat-soluble flavor compounds when bloomed briefly in the rendering fat, whereas delicate frozen peas belong in the final ten minutes of cooking to preserve their bright green color and crisp bite. Adjusting the recipe for different dietary needs is straightforward; substitute water with a rich mushroom broth for enhanced umami, or omit the beef entirely and double the mushrooms to create a hearty vegetarian variant without altering the fundamental cooking timeline. Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, though the barley will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, requiring an extra splash of water when reheating.
