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Beef and Pearl Barley Soup with Fresh Thyme
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Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the beef stew meat, pearl barley, onion, carrots, and celery into the slow cooker.
  • Pour the beef broth over the ingredients.
  • Add the thyme sprigs along with the salt and black pepper.
  • Stir everything together so the barley and vegetables are mostly submerged.
  • Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the barley is soft.
  • Remove the thyme sprigs before ladling the soup into bowls.

Notes

If the soup thickens too much after sitting, stir in a splash of extra broth when reheating. Strip the thyme leaves from the stems after cooking if you prefer a stronger herb flavor throughout. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for three days and reheat gently on the stovetop without losing much texture.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Equipment: Slow Cooker