Beef Stew with Barley
Ingredients:
* 1 diced onion
* 3 stalks of celery, diced
* 2 carrot sticks, diced
* 1 (14 oz) can of stewed tomatoes, blended
* 2 containers of low-sodium/unsalted beef stock
* 1 packet of low-sodium brown gravy mix
* 2 lbs of stew meat, cubed
* 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon of thyme
* 1 teaspoon of parsley
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 cloves of garlic
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 3/4 cup of barley
Instructions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from the pot and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
3. Add the blended stewed tomatoes, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and gravy mix to the pot. Stir well to combine.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
5. Add the rinsed barley to the pot and continue to simmer for an additional 45 minutes, or until the barley is cooked through and the stew has thickened slightly.
Note: You can adjust the amount of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to your taste. Also, if you prefer a thicker stew, you can add more gravy mix or reduce the amount of beef stock.
Pro-Tip from Dietitian Nikki : Blend the tomatoes if you have family members or kids who don’t like to ‘see’ tomatoes! This can be done with all of the vegetables in this recipe, if you need to maximize the nutrition for your kids but have someone at home working through sensory issues with veggies, blend and add back in for a nicely thickened soup without the visuals of floating veggies.
Beef Barley Soup Recipe, as seen on Dietitian Nikki’s ‘Sunday Prep Reminder’ Instagram Story @NutritionSupportSolutionsLLC
Ingredients picked from an RD! Unsalted broth, stewed tomatoes that we check the nutrition label on, low sodium brown gravy, low sodium soy sauce. All parts to creating healthy homemade meals.
