This hearty, flavorful soup slow cooks with cubes of tender beef chuck roast, perfectly cooked vegetables, and plump, chewy pearled barley. Red wine and beef broth add depth to the beefy broth. Warm up a loaf of fresh sourdough bread in the oven, break off big hunks for dipping, and enjoy the ultimate comfort meal!
WHen We’re Craving Big Comfort and Big Flavor, This Is The Soup!
This hearty soup will always remind me of my husband’s parents, Archie and Loree. They loved a good soup, and especially this recipe — I aimed to make it for them whenever they visited during fall and winter, and often sent them home with a meal of leftovers. And now when they’re no longer with us, I still have their soup-loving son who reminds me that he loves this soup, too!
This is one of the coziest meals I know, perfect for a chilly day. From putting it together in the slow cooker (only takes 25 minutes), to letting it simmer away for a good part of a day, to enjoying that first spoonful of tender, flavorful beef and chewy barley, this soup feels like a great big hug.
This recipe has been a favorite with family, friends, and readers for many, many years. And the #1 thing I hear is how people love how flavorful it is. When I was testing this recipe, I was very choosy to include only ingredients that work well together — ones that support and boost each other’s best qualities. For example, I included red wine, tomato paste, thyme, and a good amount of garlic because all of these pair gorgeously with the main attraction, beef.
So, for the ultimate robust, beefed-up flavor, it’s very important to use a flavorful cut of beef. An inexpensive, tougher cut is best, and I always use beef chuck. First, the beef cubes are seared, to coax out and lock in flavor. Then the slow cooker transforms them into irresistible, fork-tender bites of beefy heaven by sloooowly breaking down its fat marbling and collagen. This also offers rich flavor and a silky, thickened texture to the broth. I greatly appreciate an ingredient that adds so much value to a recipe!
“Made this last night, thought I would have leftovers for today, my family had multiple bowls and finished the stew!!! My husband said it was the best I ever made, so thank you!”
Lynn
Whenever I make this soup, my family asks, “what do you have for dipping?”
Sometimes it’s homemade sourdough bread, other times I grab an artisan loaf from our local Kowalski’s bakery. Popovers are a favorite, too, perfect for mopping up every last bit in the bottom of the bowl.
And when we have guests at the table, I like to add a simple salad of fresh greens with my homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.
I use pearled barley for its Firm, chewy texture
Just like I don’t want mushy apples in my apple crisp (and use certain kinds of apples to accomplish this), I also do not want mushy barley in my soup! So I always use pearled barley in this recipe. It’s similar in size and texture to brown rice, and offers the very best “not-mushy” texture in this slow cooker recipe.
Also. Just Say No to Mushy Vegetables!
The vegetables cook for a long time in the slow cooker, so I always cut them somewhat thick. If you cut them small, they will definitely end up mushy.
If you prefer smaller pieces of veggies, I recommend adding them later in the cooking process.
Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes (Top round is another option, just know that it will not be as flavorful and tender as chuck.)
- Morton kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into ¼"-thick slices
- 8 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ½"-thick pieces
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium-large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup pearled barley* (SEE NOTES)
- 1 bay leaf
- chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Sprinkle beef cubes fairly generously with salt and pepper. If you own a slow cooker with a meat browning function, add the oil to the slow cooker and then brown the beef right in the slow cooker, searing beef on all sides. Otherwise use a large skillet over medium-high heat to heat the oil and then brown the beef. Drain off fat. If using a skillet, transfer beef to slow cooker. You will need a large slow cooker for this recipe, as it makes a big quantity (ours is a 7-quart size).
- Add mushrooms, carrots, garlic, potatoes, onion, beef broth, wine, tomato paste, mustard, and thyme, and stir well to incorporate. Then stir in barley and add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Then turn heat to low and cook for 2 hours more, or until beef is very tender.
- Serve hot, with fresh parsley sprinkled over the top. A good, crusty bread for dipping is always welcome.
Video
Notes
- For very soft barley – add the barley after you brown the beef, and then slow cook for 6 hours, until the soup is done.
- For a firmer, chewier bite – add the barley just 1 to 2 hours before the soup is done.
This was delicious. Followed the recipe. Only left out mushrooms because of some picky people in my house. It reminds me of scotch broth soup I used to eat as a kid. This beef barley was a lot better though.
What adjustments do you recommend for a 6 quart slow cooker?
I have used this recipe several times and it always turns out really well. And, of course, it reheats beautifully and also freezes well. Great recipe!
Hello Brenda, I was excited to find your Barley Beef Stew and have the grocery list started for the ingredients. I am anxious to make it knowing it will be fantastic being the “first day of Spring stew” which is also, “my day”. This is so goofy but Mom always told me “you can do or say anything when you get old” so after 75 “first day of spring” birthdays, I’m here and will take her advice. Thank you for your recipe Brenda, take care and stay safe!
Hi, how big is the slow cooker you recommend? After putting in all ingredients I did not have nearly enough room to add all the carrots and potatoes.
Thank you!
Hi Andy – there is a link in the recipe for the slow cooker we use. It’s a 7-qt multi-cooker.
Wow! Went looking for a stew recipe on a cold day in Texas and this is it. So flavorful and hits the spot. My slow cooker does not sauté so I did brown the beef in a skillet and used some of the liquid to de-glaze the pan and then added the bits/liquid to the slow cooker. The only barley I could find in my store was the ‘Quick Barley’ so I decided to add it in during the last 45 minutes. OMG this is so good. Thanks for creating something so delicious and satisfying.
Does it work to put it all together the night before and store in the fridge until time to start the slow cooker the next day?
Hi Hope – If you want to prepare it the day before, still go through each step in the directions. Then refrigerate overnight and reheat the next day.
Can you make this recipe using ground beef? If so, would there be any changes in instructions? Thank you!
Hello Megan – I have never tried that. If you want to try using ground beef, I would just drain any excess fat from cooking the beef and then proceed. Because the ground beef would not need to tenderize, you would just cook until the carrots, potatoes, and barley are tender.
Thanks Brenda! I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe! It sounds delicious!
Do you think I could double this recipe? I have a really big slow cooker. I’m feeding a bunch of hungry hunters.
As long as you have a big enough slow cooker, there should be no problem with doubling this recipe!
I was very pleased with how this recipe turned out. I browned the meat in a hot pan so the crust and flavour was nicely developed. I added parsnips and used mini potatoes. I added a splash of Worcestershire as well. The pearl barley is what made this recipe so good, I think. That, and the red wine that I used was a very good California Cabernet.
Wonderful! So glad you liked this, Ellen. :)
All I can find is quick barley. Any suggestions about what to do?
Hello, I’m going to make this today. Just wondering if you prep the Barley first by soaking or boiling or if it goes in dry and softens over the time it is slow cooked?
Hello Danielle – throw the barley in dry. It’ll cook in the slow cooker. :)
Hi I was wondering if you could use rolled barley in this recipe instead of pearly barley? Would I just cook it in less time? I have a big bag of rolled barley that I’m trying to find recipes for. Thanks
Hi Charlene – You could, but the stew will be quite different in texture. I have never tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure what quantities to use or how to change up the recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try.
About how many cups does this recipe make? i am trying to determine the portion size. Thank you so much.
So good to see a recipe using pearl barley, love using it in slow cooker recipes, it comes out so buttery.
Not sure if the instant pot made this a disaster or not…followed the recipe all the way exactly and put everything in the instant pot for 15 minutes…the meat was extremely tough, potatoes and carrots were mush and the entire dish lacked flavor…I added A LOT of salt and pepper (on top of the salt and pepper added to the beef before browning) to try and salvage but overall disappointing as I love a good beef and barley. Would maybe try again with the slow cooker method only and more changes to the seasonings added to the dish before cooking.
Hello! I haven’t tried this using an Instant Pot – the instructions are for using a slow cooker. But I cook in the slow cooker until the beef is tender. I like the potatoes and carrots softened – but they’ve never turned into mush when I’ve made this. As for the salt and pepper – I would say that these items should always be taste tested anyway, as so much depends on the broth, etc. that is used. Just adjust the seasoning to your liking. I hope you give this another try, as this has been a longtime popular recipe here. Thank you!
Help!! I have put on high pressure for 15mins in my instant pot and would like to know what I do next x
My husband and I LOVED this stew! I love stew in the winter; he’s not a fan but he goes with the flow for me once in awhile. I made it per the recipe; made no changes. He LOVED this and asked for it again! Yay!!
The only change to the recipe I made was subbing sweet potatoes for plain. I also halved the recipe because who wants 10 servings of something they dont care for if they only have to have five?
The broth at the end was very broth-y and not thick like a stew, so I took a cup of the broth out and mixed it into a roux to make it thicker and returned to the crock pot.
Husband liked it. I added a lot of salt. It was not very flavorful. Good starting point I think.
Thanks, Kari – I love the idea of sweet potatoes in this recipe! The amount of salt is going to vary with ingredients used (I tend to highly salt the beef in the beginning) and people’s own preference for salt – so I get that.
I made this last night and it’s so delightful!! I used sweet potatoes instead of carrots because im allergic to them, and used beef bone broth instead of regular broth. I used ground thyme instead of dried and it was soooo thymey in a bad way. So I added in 2 more cups of broth to mellow out the flavor a bit. Will definitely be adding this to my winter crockpot rotation!
Wonderful, I’m so glad you liked this! I’m sure that WAS “thymey” – but I’m glad you’ll make it again (with dried thyme!). :)