hearty beef and barley vegetable stew 🥕🥣 — rich tomato broth, tender beef chunks, carrots, celery, and pearl barley.

Here’s a full, from-scratch recipe:

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Hearty Beef & Barley Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

Main:

• 1½ lbs (700g) beef chuck, cut into bite-sized cubes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & black pepper (to taste)

• 1 large onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 carrots, sliced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed

• 6 cups beef broth

• 1 (14–15 oz) can crushed tomatoes

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Optional Add-ins:

• 1 cup diced potatoes

• 1 cup mushrooms

• 1 cup frozen peas (added at the end)

• Fresh parsley for garnish

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Instructions

1️⃣ Brown the Beef

1. Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat.

3. Brown beef in batches (don’t overcrowd), about 3–4 minutes per side.

4. Remove and set aside.

2️⃣ Sauté Vegetables

1. In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery.

2. Cook 5–6 minutes until softened.

3. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

4. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.

3️⃣ Build the Stew

1. Return beef to the pot.

2. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, barley, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, paprika, and bay leaf.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low.

4️⃣ Simmer

• Cover and simmer for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until:

  • Barley is tender

  • Beef is fork-soft

  • Stew has thickened

(If it gets too thick, add a little more broth or water.)

5️⃣ Finish

• Remove bay leaf.

• Adjust seasoning.

• Stir in peas (if using) and cook 2–3 minutes.

• Garnish with fresh parsley.

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Slow Cooker Version

• Brown beef first.

• Add everything except peas.

• Cook on LOW 7–8 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours.

• Add peas in last 15 minutes.

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Instant Pot Version

• Use sauté mode to brown beef and vegetables.

• Add remaining ingredients.

• Pressure cook 20 minutes, natural release 10 minutes.

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Storage

• Keeps 4–5 days refrigerated

• Freezes well up to 3 months

• Thickens as it sits (add broth when reheating)

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If you’d like, I can also give you:

• A lighter/low-carb version

• A chicken barley version

• A vegetarian version

• Or a rustic old-fashioned farmhouse style

Just tell me which 😊