Slow-Cooker Beef-Barley Soup with Red Wine & Pesto

• servings: 6 servings
• total time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonally sliced carrots (from 3 carrots)

1 cup yellow onion (from 1 onion)

½ cup dry red wine

3 cups unsalted beef stock

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

¼ cup jarred pesto

½ cup uncooked whole-grain hulled barley (not pearled; about 4 ounces)

1 (5 ounce) package baby kale leaves

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel; sprinkle with the pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the beef to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the beef to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the carrots, onions, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the wine to the skillet; cook over medium-high 1 minute, stirring and scraping to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour over the beef mixture in the slow cooker.

Stir the stock, tomatoes, and pesto into the slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 2 hours. Stir in the barley; cover and cook on HIGH until the beef and barley are tender, about 2 hours. Stir in the kale and salt. Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve hot.

Nutrition

• Calories: 301 kcal
• Total Fat: 12 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Sodium: 630 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 25 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 22 g