I cannot rave enough about the wonder that is pearl barley. It’s cheap (approximately 40p per 500g here in the UK), healthy and filling, and I could personally devour its chewy goodness by the bucketload. If you’re looking for a New Year alternative to your usual pasta or rice, I definitely recommend giving it a try – particularly in this warming, hearty winter stew.
I’m a vegetarian, so I stirred through some Quorn chicken style pieces. However, I’m sure this would work just as well with the real thing! If you’re a meat-eater, switch out the veg stock for chicken stock and stir through some bacon lardons for an extra salty, savory touch. 
Vegetable and Pearl Barley Stew with Dumplings
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A hearty vegetable and pearl barley stew with fluffy dumplings, perfect for warming up on a cold day.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 sticks of celery, diced
- 1 large leek, sliced
- 1 small turnip, diced
- 200g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 100g pearl barley
- 200g Quorn chicken-style pieces or chicken
- 1 small glass white wine
- 900ml vegetable stock or chicken stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- For the dumplings: 100g self-raising flour
- 50g suet
- Cold water, as needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add half of the onions, half of the carrots, and 2 sticks of celery. Fry for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the pearl barley and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the white wine, stir, and allow it to reduce for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining onions, carrots, celery, leek, turnip, mushrooms, and garlic to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add the Quorn or chicken pieces to the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings by mixing the self-raising flour and suet in a bowl. Gradually add cold water until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the dough into small balls and drop them into the simmering stew. Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through and fluffy.
- Serve the stew hot, ensuring each bowl has a generous portion of dumplings.
Notes
For a meatier version, substitute Quorn with chicken and use chicken stock. Add bacon lardons for extra flavor. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 15
- Cholesterol: 0
