Slow Cooker Autumn Stew

Time :7 10

Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

The weather will start getting cooler, sweaters will start making appearances, and we'll all be wanting more warming dishes... dishes like this one! Slow Cooker Autumn Stew is filled with browned beef and fresh vegetables, as well as rich tomatoes and tender barley, which really help make the soup feel and taste autumnal! Why stress about dinner when Slow Cooker Autumn Stew practically makes itself so you can enjoy the season all the more?

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat cubed
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 onion chopped
3 stalks celery sliced
3 carrots sliced into thick rounds
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
6 cups beef broth
1/3 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
baguette optional, to taste, sliced, for serving

Directions

In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil.
Pat the beef cubes dry.
Season the beef cubes generously with the salt and the black pepper.
Add the beef to the hot oil and cook, while turning the cubes occasionally, until they are browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
In a slow cooker, add the beef cubes, the onions, the celery, the carrots, the garlic, the tomato paste, the fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices, the broth, the barley, the Italian seasoning, and the bay leaves.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the beef is extremely tender, about 7-8 hours.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Add the parsley and the lemon juice to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
Taste the soup for seasoning and add more of the salt and more of the black pepper, as needed.
Serve with the sliced baguette.