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
Yield: 8servings
Prep: 20 minutesminutes
Cook: 1 hourhour
Total: 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Melting-tender beef chunks, perfectly cooked barley, and all the hearty veggies one can ask for. Best of all, it’s freezer-friendly!
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1medium sweet onion, diced
3medium carrots, peeled and diced
2celery ribs, diced
3clovesgarlic, minced
2cupssliced mushrooms
⅓cupdry red or white wine
8cupsbeef stock
1cuppearled barley, rinsed
5sprigs fresh thyme
1bay leaf
2tablespoonschopped fresh parsley leaves
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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
*TO FREEZE: Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.