What could be better than coming home at the end of a long, chilly day to a slow cooker full of bubbling beef stew? Well, I’ll tell you what: adding a surprise ingredient to that stew to change things up from your typical meat-and-potatoes dish! In this recipe, “superfood” barley provides that surprise, adding vitamins and fiber to an already-hearty base of beef and mushrooms. That’s right, friends—you can actually feel virtuous enjoying this stick-to-your-ribs supper.
YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 lb (910 g) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch (4-cm) cubes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp (8 g) House Seasoning
1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
9 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into ½-inch (13-mm) thick slices
8 oz (227 g) white mushrooms, cleaned and cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) thick slices
2 tbsp (33 g) tomato paste
1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup (138 g) pearl barley, rinsed and drained
2 dried bay leaves
6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium beef broth
2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
Minced fresh parsley, for serving
Place the beef cubes in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Sprinkle them with the garlic, House Seasoning, thyme, oregano, rosemary and pepper and toss to coat them. Top the seasoned beef cubes with the carrots, mushrooms, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, barley and bay leaves. Pour the beef broth into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, until the beef is tender.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth, then slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15 to 30 minutes, until the stew is slightly thickened. Discard the bay leaves and garnish the stew with the parsley.