A rich beef broth and loaded with garden vegetables like peas, carrots, corn, potatoes and green beans, this stew will quickly become a family favorite!
232ozBoxes of Beef stockI like Swanson cooking stock brand
1PacketBeef Au Jus Gravy from McCormick
2-3poundsbeef stew meatI love Costco's pre-cut meat
1/2Tablespoonbutter with a splash of olive oil (optional)
2cupsfresh or frozen corn
2mediumrusset potatoespeeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2cupschopped green beans
2cupsFresh or frozen peas
2cupschopped fresh or frozen carrots
2Stalkscelery
1/2cup barley
1 1/2teaspoonssea salt
1/4teaspoon garlic
1/2teaspoononion powder
Fresh thyme for garnish
To thicken stew:
1tablespooncorn starch
1/2cupwater
Instructions
In a soup pot, turn heat to medium high and add 1/2 tablespoon butter and a splash of olive oil.Sear meat until browned. Transfer meat to a large crockpot and pour 64 ounces of beef broth. Add in packet of Au Just gravy. This will add depth of flavor! Allow to simmer on high heat for 4 hours or low for 6. Beef should be very tender. Transfer meat and broth back to cleaned soup pot and add chopped vegetables, barley, and spices and salt.Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and barley is plump. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry if desired. Mix water and corn starch and add to boiling soup. The stew should instantly thicken.The barley will thicken the stew slightly on it's own, so this step is totally optional!
Notes
** If you wish to keep this stew gluten free, omit the barley.Recipe may be cut in half for a smaller batch. Soup can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge. It may also be cooled and frozen but the vegetables will not be as crisp and delicious.If you want to leave the soup in the crockpot and skip transferring it back to the soup pot to boil, you may add veggies/spices/barley and seasoning to the crockpot but you will need to add an additional hour of time for veggies to simmer and get tender. We love this recipe with a side of easy homemade breadsticks or fool-proof crescent rolls (both recipes can be found on handmadefarmhouse.com!)