Hearty Beef & Barley Vegetable Stew
Slow-simmered beef stew meat with barley, carrots, and celery in a rich broth, ideal for a chilly night.
This is the kind of stew you start on a lazy afternoon and let take its time. Cubed beef browns first for depth, then simmers low and slow with carrots, celery, and onion until it's fall-apart tender, with barley added toward the end to soak up the broth.
Beef is a genuinely good source of iron, and pairing it here with a hearty, whole-grain barley makes for a stew that's as substantial as it is comforting — a solid option if you're keeping an eye on iron intake alongside your regular meals.
It tastes even better the next day, so don't hesitate to make a full pot and reheat portions through the week.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb beef stew meat — trimmed and cubed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion — diced
- 3 carrots — sliced
- 2 stalks celery — sliced
- 2 cloves garlic — minced
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper — to taste
These ingredients are standard at most North American supermarkets.
Instructions
- 1Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown beef in batches, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
- 2In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- 3Return beef to the pot along with broth, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 60 minutes.
- 4Stir in barley, cover, and simmer 30 minutes more, until barley and beef are both tender.
- 5Remove bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.