Hearty Veg Pearl Barley Stew

A cosy, wholesome bowl of goodness - packed with veg and hearty pearl barley. This is the kind of low-effort, high-reward dinner that tastes even better the next day. It’s flexible (use whatever root veg you’ve got), budget-friendly, and brilliant for using up winter veg.

Even better: every ingredient in this recipe is available from our shop (when veg is in season), and you can refill the pearl barley (and oils) too.

Serves

2- 4 portions

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1–2 tbsp Biona sunflower oil or olive oil
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 carrots (or 1–2 parsnips, or swede chunks)
• 100–150g cabbage, sliced or chopped
• 150g pearl barley
• 1–2 Kallo stock cubes
• 1 tbsp Biona mustard
• 1–2 tsp Aspall’s vinegar (or a squeeze of lemon)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Start the base: Warm the oil in a large saucepan or casserole on a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until softened.
2. Add the veg: Tip in the potatoes, carrots/parsnip/swede. Stir well so everything gets lightly coated in the oil.
3. Add barley + stock: Add the pearl barley, then crumble in 1 stock cube (use 2 if you like it punchier). Pour in enough boiling water to cover everything by about 2–3cm. Give it a good stir.
4. Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then turn down to a steady simmer. Pop a lid on (slightly ajar) and cook for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring now and then. Add a splash more water if it starts to look too thick.
5. Add cabbage: Stir in the cabbage and cook for a further 8 - 12 minutes, until tender but still with a bit of bite.
6. Finish the flavour: Stir in the mustard, then add the vinegar (or lemon) and plenty of black pepper. Taste and adjust - you can add a pinch of salt or a bit more vinegar/lemon to lift it.
7. Serve: Ladle into bowls and enjoy as-is, or with warm, crusty bread.

Tips

• Make it thicker: Simmer with the lid off for the last 5–10 minutes.
• Make it soupier: Add an extra mug of water and an extra half stock cube.
• Batch cook friendly: Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days and reheats beautifully. The barley will drink up liquid overnight, so loosen with a splash of water when reheating.

Shop the ingredients

All the ingredients for this recipe are available from The Pear - including pearl barley and oils as refills. If you’re visiting in-store, just ask and we’ll point you to everything you need.