Alberta-Style Beef Barley Stew

Ingredients

• 6 cups hot water, divided
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½ large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ cups pearl barley

Step 1

Lightly heat 2 cups of water in a microwave-safe bowl until it boils—this should take about 2 minutes. Stir in the beef bouillon cubes and onion soup mix until everything is fully dissolved. Pour this flavorful broth along with the remaining 4 cups of water into your slow cooker and set it to High.

Step 2

Add the beef, potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the slow cooker. Give everything a good stir to combine. Cover and let it cook until the potatoes are soft when you poke them with a fork, which usually takes around 4 and a half to 5 hours.

Step 3

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the barley and keep cooking for about another 30 minutes, until the barley has softened up nicely. When it’s done, turn off the slow cooker, take off the lid, and let the stew sit for about 5 minutes to thicken up a bit before serving.