Beef Barley Vegetable Stew

Savory and hearty cubed beef and barley vegetable medley stew for a hearty and comforting meal that is perfect for a cold day.

This Beef Barley Vegetable Stew is a hearty, comforting dish perfect for a cold day. Tender chunks of beef chuck roast are simmered in a flavorful broth with colorful vegetables and chewy pearled barley, creating a satisfying texture. Seasoned with oregano and Italian herbs, this stew has a rich depth of flavor, making it a savory and warming meal. Serve it with warm, crusty bread for a complete and cozy dinner that’s sure to leave you feeling full and content.

Servings

6-8

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours 20 minutes

Total Time

2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the Fresh Produce

  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4 Yukon gold potatoes, diced with skin on
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped

From the Pantry

  • 1 cup dry pearled barley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cups beef broth (or 6 cups water and 6 teaspoons Better than Bouillon beef base)
  • 1/2 cup red cooking wine
  • (2) 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (or equivalent fresh diced tomatoes)

For Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning blend

Instructions

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine chopped carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, and garlic. Set aside. If using Better than Bouillon beef base, prepare the beef broth by boiling 6 cups of water and stirring in the beef base until dissolved. Trim excess fat from the chuck roast and cut into bite-sized cubes. In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, and Italian seasoning.

Browning the Beef

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed beef and sprinkle the seasoning blend over the meat, stirring to ensure even coating. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in the red cooking wine and let it simmer for a few minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned beef to a bowl and set aside.

Building the Stew

In the same pot, add the vegetable mixture and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, and pearled barley, stirring after each addition. Return the browned beef to the pot and stir to combine.

Cooking the Stew

Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the stew simmer for approximately 2 hours, until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender.

Serving

Once cooked, remove from heat and allow the stew to cool slightly. Ladle into bowls and serve warm with fresh bread.

Gather and prepare the beef roast and vegetables for chopping.

Chop all the vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Prepare the chopped vegetables with the cubed beef and seasoning, diced tomatoes, beef broth, barley, and red wine.

Heat oil in the Dutch oven and add the beef and seasoning blend.

Stir and cook about 10 minutes. Then add the red wine and simmer down a more minutes.

Remove the beef in a separate dish to set aside.

Add the vegetable mix and heat on med-high and stir about 10 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes to stir in.

Add the barley to stir in.

Return the beef to stir in.

Stir completely together to simmer.

Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every half hour.

After about 2 hours the stew will thicken and is ready to remove from heat.

Stir together and let rest.

Fresh baked bread on the side is always welcome!

Ladle into a bowl with buttered bread on the side and enjoy!