Healthy Vegetable Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup Recipe for the Slow Cooker

Healthy Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Barley Mushroom Soup

As Ellie Krieger says, when introducing this recipe, “Who says you can’t have both beef and mushrooms in your barley soup?

Not me. When it comes to soup, I believe the more vegetables the better and this healthy slow cooker vegetable beef and mushroom barley soup proves it.

Full of chunks of tender beef, earthy mushrooms, chewy barley and an array of colorful vegetables, this is a delicious low calorie meal in a bowl that will warm you inside and out. Although, Ellie’s recipe is for a stovetop soup, I turned this into a slow cooker vegetable beef barley soup recipe with wonderful results. For a lazy cook like me, slow cookers and soup recipes are a match made in heaven.

Healthy Vegetable Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup Recipe

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

6 hours

Total time

6 hours 15 mins

 

A hearty and delicious soup that will warm you inside and out.

Author: Martha

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• ¾ pound beef stew meat cut into ½ inch pieces
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic in a jar
• 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
• One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
• ½ cup pearled barley
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Dry off the meat with paper towels and then sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
3. Add the meat to the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total.
4. Transfer to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.
5. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
6. Scrape the mixture from the skillet into the slow cooker. (If there are any browned bits still remaining in the skillet, add a little of the beef broth to de-glaze the pan and then add to the slow cooker.)
7. Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, broth, tomatoes, barley, and thyme to the slow cooker and stir to blend.
8. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of parsley, if desired.

Notes

Nutritional estimates per Serving (1½ cups): 275 calories, 10 g fat, 25 g protein, 22 g carbs, 5 g fiber and 7 WW PointsPlus Value. Although Ellie, made this on the stove, I turned it into a slow cooker soup recipe with great results. Add whatever vegetables you like. The last time I made this I added green beans, and chopped leftover swiss chard and it was delicious. Corn, peas, turnips and parsnips are other great choices.

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More Vegetable Beef Barley Soups from around the Web:

Easy Vegetable Beef Barley Soup – A quick and easy soup with ground beef and frozen mixed vegetables with 230 calories, 5 g fat, and 6 Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values found at Betty Crocker.

Barley and Beef Soup - Make this soup the night before to allow time for its flavors to develop. Makes a satisfying lunch or supper served with whole wheat bread or crackers. 275 Calories, 5 g fat and 7 Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values from Cooking Light found at MyRecipes.

Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms – and parsnips from Prevention’s Sugar Solution Cookbook found at Prevention.