BEEF, BARLEY and MUSHROOM STEW

A delicious bowl of barley, beef and mushroom stew with a spoon and napkin on the side.

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Beef Barley and Mushroom Stew is a rich and hearty cold-weather meal featuring tender beef, earthy mushrooms, and pleasantly chewy barley in a deeply savory broth. It’s satisfying comfort food in every spoonful.

Prep Time40

Cook Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: main course - beef, main course stew

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Barley stew with beef and mushrooms, Beef Barley Stew, mushroom, beef and barley stew

Servings: servings

Calories: 631kcal

Author: Renee Goerger

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ lbs. boneless chuck cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons salt divided
1 teaspoon black pepper divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter divided
1 large onion rough chopped
3 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
3 ribs celery rough chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 small bay leaves
10 ounces button mushrooms cleaned and quartered
¼ cup white wine
2 cups beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
1½ teaspoons dried thyme leaves
2½ cups instant barley (quick cooking)
1 cup water
sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish optional

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Instructions

In a large bowl, toss the beef cubes with the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium/high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pot.
Add half the prepared beef cubes to the pot, and brown the meat on all sides.
Remove the browned beef to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Repeat with the remaining beef, oil, and butter.
Remove all the browned beef to a bowl. Set it aside.
In the same pot, over medium heat, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves.
Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and cook the vegetables for 3-4 minutes to soften slightly, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Remove the vegetables to the same bowl with the browned beef cubes. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pot and add the mushrooms.
Sauté the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.
Add the wine, sautéed vegetables, browned beef, chicken and beef stock, along with the dried thyme leaves.
Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 45-50 minutes.
After simmering, add in the barley along with 1 cup of water.
Stir well to combine.
Cover again and simmer until the barley is plump and cooked through (approximately 20 minutes) on the stovetop.
Slow Cooker Instructions (starts on the stovetop):
*Note - If you're using the slow cooker, add all the sautéed ingredients into the cooker along with the chicken and beef stock, wine, and dried thyme leaves.
Set to high, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, stir in the barley and 1 cup of water.
Cover and cook for an additional 40 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and spoon the stew into bowls. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.

Notes

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

May be frozen. Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag. Label and date. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition