Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the beef, barley, broth, carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes with their juice, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves into the slow cooker.
- Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- 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 soft.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Barley keeps absorbing liquid after cooking, so stir in a little extra broth when reheating leftovers to loosen the texture. If you want a thicker soup, leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Equipment: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Equipment: Slow Cooker