This recipe is my doctored up version of a Paula Deen beef stew recipe I found on the internet. Think of the ingredient amounts as more of a guide than a rule!
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs stew beef
flour and pepper
2+ Tbsp olive oil
4 cans low sodium beef broth (stock)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tsp pepper (more)
1/2 tsp paprika (more)
Dash ground allspice
1/2 c barley
3+ large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
Toss the beef pieces in a mixture of flour and pepper (using a brown paper lunch bag makes this easy).
Brown meat in hot oil.
Add beef broth, Worcestershire, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, paprika, and allspice.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour 10 minutes. If more liquid is needed, add some water (or red wine).
Add the barley. (Note: add the barley so it is done when the vegetables are done. My Bob's Red Mill pearl barley cooks for 50-60 minutes, so I add it about an hour before the soup is done.)
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery.
Cover and simmer 30 - 40 minutes longer.
The soup should have enough "body" from the flour and from the barley.
For a good beef stew instead, cut down on the liquids, using only 2-3 cans of the beef broth. Also, can use some boiling onions instead of a sliced onion, and add them along with the other vegetables later on (so they don't overcook). Can thicken the sauce with a mixture of flour and water or flour and butter at the end.