Description
Hearty crockpot beef barley soup warms winter nights with rich, comforting flavors from tender beef and wholesome barley. Slow-cooked perfection brings deep, satisfying warmth to hungry souls seeking a nourishing meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) stew meat
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) pearl barley, rinsed
Vegetables:
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cups (300 grams) celery, chopped
- 4 large carrots, peeled and shredded (about 2 cups or 300 grams)
- 1 large potato, peeled and shredded (about 2 cups or 300 grams)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
Liquid and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 10 cups (2.4 liters) water
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the beef by seasoning generously with salt and pepper, ensuring even coverage for maximum flavor absorption.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high temperature, creating a searing environment for optimal meat browning.
- Carefully add beef in batches, avoiding pan overcrowding, and sear each piece for 1-2 minutes per side until a rich, golden crust develops.
- Transfer browned meat to a separate plate, repeating the process until all pieces achieve a deep caramelized exterior.
- Return skillet to heat and pour water, scraping accumulated flavor-packed browned bits from the pan’s surface to create a robust liquid base.
- Transfer browned meat, deglazed liquid, and additional water to the crockpot, incorporating beef base for enhanced depth of flavor.
- Add chopped celery, onions, and minced garlic, stirring to distribute ingredients evenly throughout the liquid.
- Set crockpot to low and allow mixture to simmer for approximately 6 hours, developing rich, complex flavors.
- Introduce shredded potatoes and carrots after initial cooking period, gently mixing to integrate new vegetables.
- Continue cooking for an additional hour, enabling vegetables to soften and release their natural sweetness.
- Rinse pearl barley thoroughly and add to the crockpot, allowing it to cook and absorb surrounding flavors.
- Simmer for a final hour until barley reaches tender consistency and soup achieves desired thickness.
- Perform a final taste assessment, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper to personal preference.
- Serve piping hot, optionally accompanied by crusty bread for a complete, nourishing meal experience.
Notes
- Maximize flavor by thoroughly browning the beef, creating a deep golden crust that adds rich, complex taste to the soup.
- Deglaze the pan meticulously, scraping up every browned bit to capture maximum depth and intensity of beef flavor.
- Customize vegetable consistency by cutting them into uniform sizes, ensuring even cooking and balanced texture throughout the soup.
- Experiment with herb variations like fresh thyme or rosemary to elevate the soup’s aromatic profile and add a subtle herbal undertone.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg