Beef Barley Soup in your Slow Cooker

Some say it’s strictly a Southern dish. Others say it’s a truck stop favorite. Whichever the case may be, when travelers know where to find good beef barley soup on a frequently traveled route, they plan to stop at that restaurant for sure.

There’s no need to save the pleasure for your travels, because you can put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and have a great dinner ready when you get home from work.

The health benefits of beef, onions, carrots, and celery are well known, but few people realize the powerhouse hidden in those little grains of barley.

Barley is one of the richest sources of the antioxidant tocotrienol, a form of vitamin E which reduces free radicals that damage the body, say researchers at the University of Toronto. In fact, they have 50 percent more power than other forms of vitamin E.

In addition to stopping free radical oxidation, this nutrient works in the liver to reduce the body’s production of dangerous cholesterol.

Barley also contains lignans, compounds that have antioxidant ability, providing even more protection. And barley is rich in fiber content.

Though pearl barley found in grocery stores is a healthful food, its nutrients have been decreased by refining. It still makes a great soup, but hulled barley is richer in B vitamins. It is found in health food stores.

Beef Barley Soup

If your crockpot is large, this recipe can be doubled.

Cut one pound of lean stew meat into 1/2-inch cubes. (If chuck roast or chuck steak is on sale, that can be used.)

Put it into the crockpot and add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 ribs of celery, 2 medium carrots, 3/4 cup barley, 1 bay leaf, 6 cups of beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt, or salt and pepper to taste.

Cook beef and barley soup on LOW in the crockpot for 6 to 8 hours. Taste, and add any additional salt and pepper you need to please your taste buds. Remember that barley expands to four times its original size. Be sure your cooker is large enough.

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