Rustic and hearty, this Sausage and Barley Stew will warm you up on a cold day! It’s packed with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and baby spinach and is naturally thickened with pearl barley.
Barley is an excellent way to bulk up soups and stews like this one and my Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup.
We are happily shifting from summer to fall here in our little town in Oregon. There’s a chill in the air but the sun has not given up yet so we’re having that inspiring combo of blue skies and mild temperatures as the leaves begin to turn.
Soups, stews, and chilis are beginning to make an appearance on our menu and this Sausage and Barley Stew was one of the first. It’s one of those old recipes that had gotten a bit lost in my collection (or my brain!) and I’m so glad to be bringing it front and center today.
This is a hearty, wholesome, family meal that’s loaded with veggies, barley, and flavorful Italian sausage.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Sausage: The recipe calls for mild Italian sausage links but I’ve also done it with ground Italian sausage and both are delicious.
- Fresh produce: Diced yellow onion, minced garlic, chopped carrots, chopped celery, chopped yukon gold potatoes, quartered cremini mushrooms, and baby spinach.
- Seasoning: Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning
- Canned crushed tomatoes: I highly recommend using high quality tomatoes, like San Marzano. They are milder, a bit sweeter, and definitely less acidic than other varieties.
- Pearl barley: Barley is a fantastic whole grain to use in stews and soups. It adds great texture, fiber, and acts as a natural thickener. Be sure to select pearl barley, not hulled barley which requires soaking and a longer cooking time.
- Broth: Low sodium beef broth.
- Wine: A little dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc balances the tomatoes in a lovely way. You can substitute additional broth if you want to omit the wine.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil.
How to Make Sausage and Barley Stew
- In a Dutch oven, brown the sausage links in oil until browned on all sides and almost cooked through. Transfer the sausage links to a cutting board and allow them to cool silghtly.
- Add the remaining oil to the pot and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the veggies have softened a bit.
- Add the potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slice the sausage and add it back to the pot along with the barley, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, wine, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt and pepper.
To substitute ground Italian sausage in step 1 above, just cook it until crumbled and browned, transfer it to a plate, and continue as directed.
- Bring to a full rolling boil, then, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 50 to 55 minutes, stirring about halfway through, until the barley is cooked and the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the spinach and cook briefly, just until the spinach has softened.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate: Transfer the cooled stew to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze in freezer-safe or portioned into food storage bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the stew safely in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
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Sausage and Barley Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage links, not fully cooked (*see notes below)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½- to 1-inch chunks
- 2 ribs celery, chopped ¼- inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 3 small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (1 pound or less)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup pearled barley, uncooked
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, good quality tomatoes like San Marzano
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- ½ cup dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over MEDIUM heat. Add the sausage links and cook for10 to 12 minutes until the sausage is browned on all sides and almost cooked through. Transfer the sausage links to a cutting board and allow them to cool silghtly.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to the Dutch oven and return it to MEDIUM heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the veggies have softened a bit, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slice the sausage into ½-inch rounds and add it back to the pot along with the barley, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, wine, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine well.
- Bring to a full rolling boil over HIGH heat. Then, reduce the heat to LOW and simmer, covered, for about 50 to 55 minutes, stirring about halfway through, until the barley is cooked and the potatoes are tender. Remove the cover and stir in the spinach. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, uncovered, until the spinach has softened. Taste and season with additional salt, only if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Stew Recipes
This post was originally published April 6, 2013. It has been updated with new text and images.
I’m going to make this recipe on tomorrow, I already know it’s going to be fantastic, I just need to puree my onions and crushed tomatoes, my husband doesn’t like to chew those two things it still will be fantastic, because I have been readjusting recipe for over 45 years he will never know! Thank you so much.
Almost identical to my Poor Mans Stew. Mine has no spinach, less tomatoes,. Use ground beef instead of sausage and add baby lima beans. Mine is pure ad hoc and more than 30 y/o. Will have to try yours.