Slow-Cooker Beef and Barley Soup Tips
How else can you cook slow-cooker beef and barley soup?
If you’d like to enjoy this soup sooner, make it on the stovetop! Prepare as directed until you would add it to a slow cooker, and instead cover and simmer for 1 hour, checking the water level and adding more if needed. Then add the vegetables and cook until heated through. Discard the
bay leaf and enjoy.
How do you thicken slow-cooker beef and barley soup?
If you like your slow-cooker beef and barley soup a little thicker,
add a thickening cornstarch slurry to the mix. To make a slurry, mix cornstarch with equal parts water (we recommend 1 tablespoon cornstarch for every cup of liquid in the recipe). Add the slurry to the pot and whisk continuously over high heat until well incorporated and the sauce starts to thicken.
What can you do if the barley is too soft?
Barley is a hearty and nutty grain that adds flavor and nutrition to any dish. It can, however, take a while to reach the perfect tenderness. If you’re worried about the rest of the soup getting mushy, or the barley itself, try cooking the barley on the side or substituting quick barley, which cooks in a fraction of the time.
—Maggie Knoebel, Taste of Home Associate Recipe Editor/Tester
Nutrition Facts
1 cup: 233 calories, 8g fat (2g saturated fat), 53mg cholesterol, 644mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 4g fiber), 20g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch.