my best crockpot recipe

For Heather over at Beauty that Moves: my favorite crockpot recipe. I've modified it slightly to avoid that "overly crockpotted" mouthfeel, but if you're not as picky, throw it all in together and let the crockpot take care of everything.

Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2-3 lb beef chuck roast, cut up into bite-sized pieces
2 T oil (or less)

3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-4 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 bay leaf
1 T white sugar
1/4 t ground black pepper

4 cups water and 4 beef or veggie bouillon cubes (or 4c beef or veggie stock)
28 oz chopped stewed tomatoes

1 cup barley

salt and more pepper (to taste- may not be needed, depending on the bouillon/stock)


My way:
1) In the morning, use oil to stir-fry your meat on high, browning the outside. (Doesn't matter if the inside is cooked or not; the c'pot takes care of that. This gives the meat a better look- not as pasty-gray and crockpotty looking.) Deglaze the pot with some water, and set all aside for a moment.
2) Oil the inside of the crockpot for easy cleanup; then pile everything BUT the barley into the pot. Stir once.
3) Cook on low all day long.
4) When you come home, use a ladle to strain some liquid out of the stew; add this to a pot, heat to boiling, and cook your barley in it. (This way the barley doesn't get too soft, but still tastes like it's been in the soup all day.) Dump barley and any remaining liquid back into the soup.
5) Stir thoroughly once more and serve with whole wheat rolls. Leftover are even better the next day, and freeze well too.

Lazyway:
Dump everything into the crockpot. Stir it up. Cook on low all day.

I'll come back and add a picture once it gets cool enough to warrant this being made for dinner. It really is delicious-- the whole is greater than the sum of its parts!