Prepare vegetables and blade roast in advance. When cubing beef, discard any fat or silver skin.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Drizzle some olive oil into the pan. Add a few cubes of beef, careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Toss the beef cubes about until they are browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and repeat until all of the beef is browned.
Drizzle a bit more olive oil into the skillet and add the prepared vegetables, sautéing them for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Transfer cooked beef and any juices to the slow cooker. Add the sautéed vegetables, tomato paste, barley and bay leaves. Add the beef stock and stir.
Set slow cooker to low setting and cook for 6 hours.
Discard bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a chopped parsley garnish.
Slow Cooker Beef And Barley Soup
Ingredients
2 pound blade roast, cut into 1” cubes
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 small head of garlic, fine-chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
½ can tomato paste
1 cup barley groats
2 bay leaves
8 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (for searing and sautéing)
Directions
Prepare vegetables and blade roast in advance. When cubing beef, discard any fat or silver skin.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Drizzle some olive oil into the pan. Add a few cubes of beef, careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Toss the beef cubes about until they are browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and repeat until all of the beef is browned.
Drizzle a bit more olive oil into the skillet and add the prepared vegetables, sautéing them for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Transfer cooked beef and any juices to the slow cooker. Add the sautéed vegetables, tomato paste, barley and bay leaves. Add the beef stock and stir.
Set slow cooker to low setting and cook for 6 hours.
Discard bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a chopped parsley garnish.
Slow Cooker Beef And Barley Soup
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A memorable, hearty soup made with choice ingredients cooked to perfection in a slow cooker.
A satisfying cozy dinner awaits! Enjoy this Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup tonight!
Years ago I discovered the magic of a slow cooker. I remember being especially taken by the entire concept of being able to free up time and do other things while the slow cooker worked its magic. This recipe for our SLOW COOKER BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP only goes to show that slow and steady certainly does win the race.
Now, if you’re reading this but don’t have a slow cooker, don’t worry. I’ve include a link to purchase one below. You might want to also canvas your friends to see if there’s a particular brand they like.
If this is your first at a soup recipe using the slow cooker method, here are a few tips.
I asked my butcher for a suggestion on the best cut for this recipe; his recommendation was a blade roast. Removing the excess fat and silver skin is important, as well as searing the cubed meat before the soup is set to cook. Browning the meat in small batches – not overcrowding the skillet – seals in the flavour.
Vegetables play a key role in building the flavour profile of this recipe. I used my standard favourites of onion, celery, garlic and carrot, but I also included parsnip. These vegetables became tender during the slow cooking process.
Another key ingredient for this recipe is tomato paste. I added it to the pot last minute but love how the concentrated tomato flavour adds richness and colour to the beef stock.
Assembling the ingredients for this recipe I learned something interesting about the different types of barley. Pearl barley has had the outer husk and bran layers removed, while barley groats is the whole grain form where only the outermost husks have been taken away. Groats hold their shape when slow-cooked and they also have a higher nutritional value. I’m glad I went with them.
Hopefully we’ve inspired you to try this wonderful soup. It’s easy to make and wonderfully tasty. Although you can enjoy it just as it is, I like serving it with this HOT SKILLET CORNBREAD or out cheesy ROASTED GARLIC CHEESE BREAD.
This soup is a delicious and satisfying meal. Enjoy!
Prepare vegetables and blade roast in advance. When cubing beef, discard any fat or silver skin.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Drizzle some olive oil into the pan. Add a few cubes of beef, careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Toss the beef cubes about until they are browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and repeat until all of the beef is browned.
Drizzle a bit more olive oil into the skillet and add the prepared vegetables, sautéing them for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Transfer cooked beef and any juices to the slow cooker. Add the sautéed vegetables, tomato paste, barley and bay leaves. Add the beef stock and stir.
Set slow cooker to low setting and cook for 6 hours.
Discard bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a chopped parsley garnish.
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