A hearty winter barley stew that features slow-cooked sweet potatoes and chewy barley.
Tips & Tricks: I took the short prep-time approach and didn’t cook the onions beforehand. If you have the time, I recommend cooking the onions and garlic in the olive oil on the stovetop before adding to the crockpot.
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: sweet potatoes, barley, cumin, smoked paprika
Nutrition: see the information.
I love a good barley stew. While you could use whole grain barley, the pearled barley helps create a semi-creamy base to the stew. The warmth from the barley is also a wonderful compliment to the sweet potatoes and smokey paprika. A few ways to mix up this stew:
Add Greens: Collards, Kale, or Chard would be wonderful stirred in at the end. Shred the greens and stir into the soup about 30 minutes before serving.
Spice: Add a pinch or two of cayenne to spice up the overall dish or you can serve the soup with a sprinkle of hot sauce.
Gluten-free: I love that even after a few hours in the slow cooker, the barley still has a slightly chewy texture. Gluten-free alternatives that will old up: sorghum or oat groats!
Vegan: Leave out the sour cream and add a dollop of cashew cream before serving!
That Crock-Pot slow cooker looks like it can do wonders!
I love your recipe. Please make more sweet potato recipe for me. Thank you!
- gustavo woltmann
This one wasn't my favorite - it ended up very mushy for me... I love the idea of a vegetarian slow cooker recipe, though!
So strange! Barley usually doesn't end up mushy at all- sorry to hear that.
I don't have a CrockPot -- has anyone tried this on the stove top?
It would work and probably take 45 minutes or so!
Thanks for the quick reply, Erin! I made it on the stove top -- turned out great. I am so happy to have found your website -- I can't wait to try more recipes 🙂 Thanks for sharing your wonderful creations!