How to Prepare Delicious Pearl Barley and Bacon Stew

Pearl Barley and Bacon Stew. This is barley with all the bran removed, giving the round, shiny grains a pearlescent white colour. It can be used in soups and stews as a thickener, or to add texture rather than flavour. Fry the vegetables in the butter, add the barley and saute.

Season to taste and serve garnished with strips of savoy cabbage. Jamie's tip: "Pearl barley is higher in fibre than white pasta. Beef and Barley Stew Recipe - How to Make Stewed Beef Shank with Barley Spanish Chorizo & Potato Stew You can have Pearl Barley and Bacon Stew using 5 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Pearl Barley and Bacon Stew

1. You need 1/4 cup of pearl barley.
2. It's 1/4 of vegetable oxo cube.
3. You need 100 g of bacon lardons.
4. It's 1/2 of carrot.
5. You need 1/4 of onion.

Drain the pearl barley and stir into the sizzling bacon and its fat. For a hearty family dinner try this pearl barley & sausage stew - it's perfect for sharing on chilly nights. Find more sausage recipes at Tesco Real Food. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, pearl barley and lemon zest.

Pearl Barley and Bacon Stew step by step

1. Measure out 1/4 cup of pearl barley per person and wash it under cold water..
2. Bring about 300ml of water to the boil, crumble the 1/4 oxo cube and add the barley. Other brands of stock will also work, of course..
3. Chop the carrots and onion and add them..
4. Reduce the heat so that the stew is simmering but not boiling hard. It's best not to cover the pan as you want a lot of liquid to boil away..
5. Fry the bacon lardons for a couple of minutes in a drop of oil, then drain the fat and add the bacon to the stew..
6. Keep the stew simmering for around an hour - the barley should be soft and fluffy at the end. Add more water if it's drying out..
7. Enjoy! This stew works well served with bread, and if you like, a fine grating of cheese on top..

Drain pearl barley and rinse under cold running water. The addition of pearl barley makes this stew really filling without being too heavy, like it might be if you added some sort of rice instead. And the pearl barley is also really helpful for adding a good amount of protein to this veggie option, when vegetarian dishes can sometimes be lacking in enough protein. Pearl barley has seen a big revival recently thanks to its high nutritious value and crunchy texture. It is most often cooked in stocks or soups, where it Pearl barley has a neutral-cereal taste.