Slow Cooker Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup – Assemble it & then Forget It!

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     Not much time for kitchen duties yesterdayso I wanted something I could quickly assemble and put in the slow cooker. Wealso had some leftover roast so this is what I came up with – Slow Cooker Beef,Barley and Mushroom Soup. It was kind of like French onion soup but a lot morehearty!      Note: Since I don’t always have leftoverroast beef on hand, I’ve provided an option for using stew beef. Soup ingredients could also be prepped thenight before, including sautéing veggies and browning raw meat – refrigerateand add all ingredients to slow cooker the next morning.     And finally, it is helpful to rely onproven safety and sanitation practices when creating or adapting recipes forthe slow cooker. I’ve included 11 great tips from the Food Network near thebottom of this post.
Slow Cooker Beef,Barley and Mushroom Soup6 to 8 cups+ beef broth½ cup pearl barley1 bay leafAbout 1 teaspoon dried thymeleaves2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil1 medium onion, diced2 ribs celery, diced2 medium carrots, dicedLeftover roast beef, choppedinto small pieces or 1 lb. lean stew beef, cut into ½” cubes and dredged inflour1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or totastePepper, to taste
1.    Add 6 cups beefbroth, barley, bay leaf and thyme to slow cooker. Turn to low or variablesetting. 2.    Heat olive oil in askillet. Add diced vegetables and sauté. Add to slow cooker.3.    Beef . . .a.    If using stew beef,add additional oil to skillet and brown dredged beef over medium heat. Add toslow cooker.b.    If using leftoverroast, add directly to slow cooker.4.    Add garlic powder,salt and pepper.5.    Cook beef and barleysoup on LOW (or variable) in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. 6.    After several hoursthe barley will expand and more broth may need to be added. Also check forseasoning after several hours and add more or refresh seasonings as needed.

Serving Suggestion: Add breadand a fruit salad for a balanced meal.
Eleven Tips for SlowCooker Meals  from the Food NetworkSlow cookers are a wonderful way to make a meal. The key to creating a delicious slow-cooked meal?Knowing the rules. Follow these 11 tips, and you'll be creating warm,hearty recipes all year long:1.    Temperatures mustreach at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe slow cooking. (The low heat onmost models is about 200 degrees F.) 2.    To keep foods outof the food danger zone, always use fully thawed meats. Don't use wholechickens or roasts; cut the meat or poultry into chunks to ensure thoroughcooking. 3.    For best results,a slow cooker should be between half and two thirds full. 4.    Resist temptationto open the lid during the cooking process — each peek you take will add anadditional 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. Also curb your urge to stir; it'susually not necessary. 5.    Cooking on lowheat takes about twice as long as cooking on high heat. A general rule of thumbis that "low heat" means about 200 degrees and "high heat"is about 300 degrees. 6.    The ceramicinsert in a slow cooker can crack if exposed to abrupt temperature shifts.Don't put a hot ceramic insert directly on a cold counter; always put a dishtowel down first. Likewise, don't put a ceramic insert straight from therefrigerator into a preheated base. 7.    You can certainlyjust pile food into the slow cooker and turn it on, but some recipes come out alot better with a little prep time. Browning meat — especially ground meat —and sautéing vegetables in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker willgreatly improve the flavor of your meal. If you dredge your meat in a littleflour before browning, you will get a thicker sauce. 8.    For high altitudecooking, add an additional 30 minutes for each hour of time specified in therecipe. Legumes take about twice as long as they would at sea level. 9.    Fat retains heatbetter than water, so fattier foods, like meat, will cook faster than lessfatty foods, like vegetables. For more even cooking, trim excess fat off of meats.If you're cooking a dish with both meat and root vegetables, place thevegetables on the bottom and sides of the insert and put the meat on top. 10.  Dairy products, like sour cream, milk or yogurt, tendto break down in the slow cooker. To prevent this, add them during the last 15minutes of cooking. 11.  If you're adapting a favorite recipe to the slowcooker, there are a few things you should keep in mind:a.    Liquid is notgoing to evaporate, so cut back on the liquids by about 20 percent.b.    If you're using herbs,select whole leaves and spices, and use half the normal amount.c.    If you're usingground herbs, add them in the last hour of cooking.
Recipewithout photos:Slow Cooker Beef,Barley and Mushroom Soup6 to 8 cups+ beef broth½ cup pearl barley1 bay leafAbout 1 teaspoon dried thymeleaves2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil1 medium onion, diced2 ribs celery, diced2 medium carrots, dicedLeftover roast beef, choppedinto small pieces or 1 lb. lean stew beef, cut into ½” cubes and dredged inflour1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or totastePepper, to taste
1.    Add 6 cups beefbroth, barley, bay leaf and thyme to slow cooker. Turn to low or variablesetting. 2.    Heat olive oil in askillet. Add diced vegetables and sauté. Add to slow cooker.3.    Beef . . .a.    If using stew beef,add additional oil to skillet and brown dredged beef over medium heat. Add toslow cooker.b.    If using leftoverroast, add directly to slow cooker.4.    Add garlic powder,salt and pepper.5.    Cook beef and barleysoup on LOW (or variable) in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. 6.    After several hoursthe barley will expand and more broth may need to be added.Also check for seasoning after several hours and add moreor refresh seasonings as needed.Serving Suggestion: Add breadand a fruit salad for a balanced meal.