Mushroom, Tomato & Pearl Barley Stew

The Sunday Table

For an autumn Sunday, brown the mushrooms properly, then let pearl barley simmer with two kinds of tomato until the pot is thick and spoonable. This is a generous vegan dinner for four, with enough texture to feel like a meal and very little to do once it’s on the hob.

Thick mushroom, tomato and pearl barley stew with carrots and spinach in a cream serving bowl

Dinner for four · Vegan

Serves4

Prep15 mins

Cook65–75 mins

Total80–90 mins

DifficultyEasy

Use pearl barley, not barley flakes or pot barley. You’ll need a large heavy-based casserole or saucepan with a lid. The sun-dried tomatoes are the dry, salted variety, not tomatoes in oil.

Ingredients

60g sun-dried tomatoes
1.2 litres water altogether: 300ml freshly boiled for soaking, plus 900ml hot water for the pot
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
600g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced or quartered
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots (about 250g), cut into small dice
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g pearl barley, rinsed and drained
1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes with garlic and oregano
150g baby spinach

Allergens: contains barley (gluten). The barley and sun-dried tomatoes carry shared-packing warnings for nuts, seeds, cereals, soya and gluten; the tomatoes are labelled not suitable for coeliacs. This stew is vegan as written. Check the current labels on every pack.

Method

Soften the tomatoesPut the sun-dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and cover with 300ml freshly boiled water. Leave for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables. Lift out and chop into small pieces, keeping the soaking water.
Brown the mushroomsHeat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the large pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms in two batches for about 10 minutes altogether, stirring occasionally, until browned and their released liquid has mostly evaporated. Transfer to a bowl.
Build the baseTurn the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onions and carrots. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until the onions soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the pearl barley and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Simmer gentlyAdd the tinned tomatoes, reserved soaking water and 900ml hot water. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, bring to the boil, then lower the heat. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 45–55 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender with a gentle chew. If the pan becomes dry before the barley is cooked, add a splash more hot water. Follow any longer cooking time stated on the barley pack.
Finish the potReturn the mushrooms to the pan for the final 5 minutes of cooking. Fold in the spinach and stir until wilted. The finished stew should be thick but easy to spoon; loosen with a little hot water or simmer uncovered briefly to thicken. Taste before adding any extra seasoning, as the dried tomatoes are already salted. Serve in warm bowls.

Adjust the texture

For a looser bowl, add extra hot water at the end. For a thicker pot, leave the lid off for the final few minutes, stirring so the barley doesn’t catch. Use a mix of chestnut and ordinary white mushrooms if that’s what you have.

Make a second meal

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container within two hours. Eat within two days. Reheat until steaming hot throughout, adding a little water because the barley absorbs more liquid as it stands. Freeze cooled portions for up to two months; defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Shop the ingredients

For a pot to share

These four packs cover the pearl barley, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil and garlic-and-oregano tomatoes. Pick up mushrooms, onions, carrots, fresh garlic and spinach separately.

Adds one full pack of each orderable product, not the recipe quantities. Change quantities in your basket.

Mushroom, Tomato & Pearl Barley Stew