Beef Barley & Black Bean Stew
Enjoy a filling, rustic dish that blends perfectly the earthy taste of root vegetables with bold beef flavor.
I consider myself a meats and potatoes kind of guy. In fact, growing up I had a Hercules plate, I believe from McDonalds, that said “I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy!” Anywho, this post is all about the rustic taste of beef and potato soup.
The blend of the earthy, root vegetables with beef pairs well together. It provides a hearty meal that is both bountiful and enjoyable. What I like most about this meal is its ability to feed two people for 3-4 meals! Of course, you could always just not make that much, but who isn’t a fan of leftovers?
On top of being a fan of meat and potatoes I am a huge lover of beans. That’s right, beans. Except for baked beans…for some reason I just cannot swallow even a small spoonful of the stuff. We decided to add black beans to this soup; unfortunately, the black beans tainted the liquid black which in turn made our potatoes look like we colored them with black food die. So, if you were looking for something special to serve this Halloween this dish will work perfectly!
When I think of beef soup I think of barley. Maybe it is because of all the canned soup I have eaten over the years, or maybe it is because barley seems heartier then plain ol’ rice, but it made an excellent addition to everything else we threw in here. I loved how the barley was tasty, but not overbearing. In fact, I probably would have toned it down on the potatoes, so when you are chopping up the potatoes you are now fore warned.
Usually when people think of soup they think of chicken noodle soup, but the other week I was at a farm and I was picking turnips. I asked a coworker of mine if she had any recipes that used turnips that she could suggest to me. She said that turnips would taste well cooked as if it were a potato, so that is where I had the idea of adding the turnips to this soup. That being said, I have not had beef and potato soup in a while so I could not comment on whether the turnip added a lot of flavor to the dish- it all tasted so good!
Make this stew for Halloween and leave everyone delighted with the holiday treat!
Question: What is your favorite Halloween tradition? Let us know below!
Beef Barley and Black Bean Stew
1 pound stew beef, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, diced
3 beef bouillon cubes
3 carrots, cut into small pieces
2 potatoes, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small turnips, peeled and chopped
1 cup uncooked (dry) black beans
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup peas and carrots
8 cups water, dividde
Salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning, to taste
Posted on 10/30/14 by Efrain
Try some of our other yummy treats!
Directions:
In a large stock pot, heat up the oil over medium heat and add in the pieces of beef, garlic and the 1/2 small onion, cooking until the outside is brown but not cooked all the way through.
Add in 4 cups of water and the beef bouillon cubes. Stir to combine a litte, then add in the carrots, potatoes, onion, turnips, black beans, barley and peas and carrots. Stir in the remaining 4 cups of water, and season with salt and pepper and the Italian seasoning.
Let the stew cook for 30-45 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and the beans and barley are cooked.
Serve and enjoy!