Beef Barley Soup, Slow Cooker

By á-1941

I have made this quite a few times and it's really good. It's easy to use more or less of what you like and the slow cooker is a plus.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped fine
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2/3 cup pearl barley
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Preparation

Step 1

1. Dry the beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the meat to the skillet and cook, without stirring, until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Stir the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until completely browned, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Transfer it to a slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and heat 2 more teaspoons oil until just smoking. Brown the remaining beef and transfer it to the slow cooker.


2. Return the skillet to medium heat and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping the browned bits off the skillet bottom, and cook until almost dry, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and the thyme; bring to a boil. Pour into the slow cooker.


3. Stir the beef and chicken broths and the barley into the slow cooker. Cover and cook, on either low or high, until the beef is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. Before serving, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.