Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Soup

Dude is guest posting again today with his very first crock pot recipe!  He was so excited when his magazine subscription came with a bonus slow cooker cookbook, he could hardly wait to try it out!

Here’s Dude:

Why I wanted to cook BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP because I like it in my school lunches that’s why I wanted to make it. I found the recipe in FOOD AND FAMILY SLOW COOKER FAVORITES. The soup is super good.

Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Soup

Adapted from Slow Cooker Favorites Vol. 2

1 lb beef stew meat, trimmed & cut in bite sized pieces

1 tbsp oil, bacon drippings, or butter

1-2 tbsp red wine (or beef broth), to deglaze pan

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 large onion, chopped

1 potato, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

½ cup peas

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2/3 cup pearled barley

2 qts low sodium beef broth

Heat the fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the meat and cook until seared on all sides.  Pour the meat into the slow cooker.  Immediately add a splash of wine to the pan, scraping off any meat bits and add that to the slow cooker.

Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to mix.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.

Before serving, remove bay leaf and stir.

Serves 6-8