Creamy Beef Mushroom Barley Soup in a Slow Cooker

A wintertime comfort food at its best. I cook for 8 people with big appetites, so halve this recipe for a smaller group. If you like green bean casserole, try adding green beans and some fried onions on top for a tasty twist. Remember, homemade broth has the best flavor, but you can substitute store-bought or chicken or turkey broth.

Step: 1

Cook and stir ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain excess grease, and transfer beef to a slow cooker.

Step: 2

Place shiitake mushrooms into a food processor and pulse several times to cut the mushrooms into small pieces.

Step: 3

Stir shiitake mushrooms, beef broth, barley, sweet onion, garlic, black pepper, salt, celery seed, and parsley with the ground beef in the slow cooker.

Step: 4

Cook on Low for 5 hours.

Step: 5

Stir heavy cream and green beans into the soup and cook 1 hour more.

Per Serving: 278 calories; protein 12.2g; carbohydrates 34.1g; fat 11.3g; cholesterol 43.6mg; sodium 479.1mg.

The name of “stew” can refer to 2 time a food and a cooking method. Stewing involves not fast cooking piece of meat, raw fruit or beans in a flavorful liquid . It’s similar to braising, but it does have a few notable differences. The meat is chopped into few of pieces but of being cooked whole , and the water based material all of it covers the contents in a stew as compared to a braise’s halfway all of it . When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a reputation for being a rib-sticking eating process that comfortable you up on a cold , winter day. It’s right that ; a bowl of old menu of beef stew can make warming featured food , but stew’s comfort factor goes way beyond preserving you from the chill . It’s all about those soft and chunks of meat and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The way they come together make the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.