Beef and Barley Stew
Melting-tender beef chunks, perfectly cooked barley, and all the hearty veggies one can ask for. Best of all, this beef and barley stew recipe is freezer-friendly!
I know. I’m sorry, guys. It’s a lot of soup recipes lately, but that’s all I’ve been eating lately!
But hey, if a recipe calls for wine in a cozy, hearty soup with some crusty bread, are we really going to say no?
I didn’t think so.
Plus, we have the most amazing melting-tender beef chunks here with perfectly chewy-nutty barley that soaks up all that stew-y goodness.
The house will smell so good, I bet you can’t wait until the 45 minutes are up when your barley has cooked through. Some peeking is okay, but make sure you keep that lid covered for faster cooking.
And my favorite part is that this is completely freezer-friendly! I made this right before I left for the holidays and coming home to this soup was everything I needed to feel right at home.
That and an extra glass of wine with my soup.
Beef and Barley Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds top sirloin steak, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- ⅓ cup dry red or white wine
- 8 cups beef stock
- 1 cup pearled barley, rinsed
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season steak with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to the stockpot and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 6-8 minutes; set aside.
- Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the stockpot.
- Stir in beef stock, barley, thyme, bay leaf and steak. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.*
- Serve immediately.
Notes
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This was supposed to go in the freezer! My husband “doesn’t” like barley! This soup was devoured….. I’m making another batch as I type. The only thing I did differently was to add a beef bone to the stock. Definitely a keeper.!
This stew is amazing. I am not much of a cook and I really appreciate the simplicity of it as well as the straightforward instructions. I will make this over and over again.
Oout of this world ..only no mushrooms.i even had fresh thyme in the garage flower pot.
Thanks for this recipe! It was a big hit with the family. I made it just as written but left the lid askew to reduce the liquid, I like a thick stew. No leftovers at all.
This recipe was amazing. The flavor was full and rich, made for amazing left overs the following day. The only things I did differently were: 1. Flouring the stew meat prior to browning them, it really helped thicken the stew nicely. 2. I used only about a 1/2 cup of red wine, lessened that typical “tang” which I preferred. 3. Increased the barely a little bit because I’m a sucker for grains.
Oops. I boogered up and mixed the veggies in with the beef. I’ll let you know how it turns out. My guess is chewier beef.
Yep, absolutely delicious!!! Super easy too:) A new family favorite!!!
We all loved it here. So filling and tasty. Will definitely make it again!
This was amazing. I substituted a chuck roast that I had in the freezer. Used baby bella shrooms and Better Than Bouillon for the Broth. And only did 6 cups of broth rather than 8. I also used hulless barley (I get it on Amazon) which upped the nutritional value. I used a Merlot for the wine (don’t be tempted to leave the wine out). Cooked in my Instant Pot pressure cooker for 20 minutes with a full natural release. Next time I may toss in a can or two of diced tomatoes with their juice. This was SO satisfying and filling. Kudos to the recipe developer. A true keeper!
This is a delicious soup! I added crushed red pepper flakes to my second helping. This changed the flavor but also took it up another notch! Next time I will add it at the end of the cooking time. Thank you for the recipe.
My husband loved your beef stew. However he thought it was more a soup. Next time I’ll make a roux to thicken it up. March 26, 2020 I’m in quarantine/safe at home in Los Angeles, during the Coronavirus. What a great time to finally to get to do what i enjoy doing….cook. I truly love your Damn Delicious recipes. My husband is extremely greatful to be on the receiving end of these awesome meals. And I am thankful for you sharing the daily antics of Butters and Cartman. They always bring a big smile to my face, and i truly need this especially during these scary times!!
Love this Soup, but cant find the recipe , to make it again!! 🙁
It’s like the link or part of the post is missing
I haven’t tried this yet, but would like to make it in my crock pot. (I know OLD SCHOOL!) How would I adapt it?
Damn delicious stew! I followed the recipe exactly except for substituting venison steak for the beef. It turned out great and my family gobbled it up!
What can I sub for the red wine? Or should I just omit, if I don’t want to use it?
This was wonderful! I added left over peas and corn. Delicious!
very, very, tasty
This recipe is AMAZING!! When do you recommend putting the beef back in? It’s not in the recipe?
Hi Ali, the beef is added back in during step 5: “Stir in beef stock, barley, thyme, bay leaf and steak. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.*” Hope that helps!
We made this in our Instant Pot without changing any of the ingredients! Cooked on high for 20 mins. Fantastic soup for a cold night.
Insanely good. We loved it and will add it to monthly winter rotation!
So good for cold weather, right?