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Crockpot Lean Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup
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Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Add the lean beef stew meat, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
  • Stir in the rinsed pearl barley, beef broth, diced tomatoes with their juice, dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
  • Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until the beef is tender and the barley is cooked through.
  • Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  • Stir in the chopped fresh parsley just before serving.

Notes

If the barley has absorbed too much liquid, stir in a splash of broth or water before serving to loosen the texture. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for three days and reheat gently on the stove with a little extra broth to restore the soup consistency. Skip the parsley if you prefer dried herbs only, but add it at the very end so it stays green and fresh.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Equipment: Slow Cooker