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Home » Main Dish » Pork » Italian Sausage and Barley Stew

Italian Sausage and Barley Stew

By Valerie · April 6, 2013 · Updated May 12, 2020 14 Comments

MD Main Dish
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Italian Sausage and Barley Stew served in a bowl.

I’m squeezing in one more warm and cozy dish before moving into spring. It may be April but we’re still having soup and stew weather here and there.

I don’t care what the calendar says, I love to cook things like this on a grey, drizzly day.

Italian Sausage and Barley Stew served in a bowl.

Thanks to Johnsonville and Allrecipes, I recently had the opportunity to try out some recipes using Johnsonville’s line of sausages. This one impressed me so much that I just had to share it with you. This post is not a requirement I am fulfilling; I am sharing the recipe purely because my family loved it and I thought you would too!

All the ingredients required to make Italian Sausage and Barley Stew.

The grocery list – Barley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, white wine, a big can of crushed tomatoes, beef broth (or base to make broth), onion, garlic, yukon gold potatoes, baby bella (brown) mushrooms, carrots, baby spinach, celery, and the star of the show – Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage. You’ll also need a little olive oil.

A bag of pearled barley.

Barley is a fantastic whole grain to use in stews and soups. It adds great texture, fiber, and acts as a natural thickener.

A pot with Italian sausage, onion and garlic.

Let’s start by coating a Dutch oven with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Place it over medium heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. After that cooks together for a couple of minutes, add the sausage links.

The sausages have turned brown when they are finished cooking.

Let the sausage cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.

The vegetables are chopped up on a cutting board.

While the sausage is sizzling away, prepare the veggies. Peel and chop the potatoes and carrots into 1″ chunks.. Quarter the mushrooms and chop the celery.

The Italian Sausages cooling on a cutting board.

Remove the partially cooked sausage to a cutting board to cool. It will not be completely cooked through at this point and that is fine. It will go back in the pot soon.

The chopped veggies are transferred to a pot.

Toss all the chopped veggies into the pot with the onion and garlic.

Sliced Italian sausage.

Once the sausage has cooled enough for you to handle it, slice it up.

A measuring cup with barley.

Add the uncooked barley to the pot. No need to cook it prior to adding it – so easy!

Italian seasoning is added to the pot.

Along with the barley, it’s time to add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, wine, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Italian Sausage slices are added to the pot.

Add the sliced sausage back to the pot. It will finish cooking as the stew simmers, covered, for about 55 minutes.

The stew after it has cooked for an hour.

After close to an hour, the barley will have softened, the veggies will be just right, and the sausage will be fully cooked through.

Baby spinach is added to the pot.

Add the entire bag of baby spinach. I know it looks like a lot but it will cook down and practically disappear as you stir it in. Keep the pot over medium heat for just another minute or two.

The baby spinach has cooked down to a significantly smaller size.

Looking good! Ready to serve.

Italian Sausage and Barley Stew served in a bowl.

A little French bread will complete the meal.

Italian Sausage and Barley Stew served in a bowl.

A hearty, wholesome, family meal. Loaded with veggies, barley, and flavorful Italian sausage.

Italian Sausage and Barley Stew

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  •  1 (19.76 ounce) package Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage links
  •  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  •  1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  •  2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  •  4 small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  •  8 ounces baby bella (brown) mushrooms, quartered
  •  2 stalks celery, chopped
  •  1/2 cup barley, uncooked
  •  1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  •  1-1/2 cups beef broth
  •  1 cup dry white wine
  •  1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  •  1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  •  1/2 teaspoon salt
  •  1 (6 ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic; cook 3 minutes or until slightly soft. Add sausage links to pan; cook 10 – 12 minutes or until sausage is browned and almost cooked through. Remove sausage links to cutting board and allow them to cool before coin slicing. Stir in carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and celery into the Dutch oven. Add the barley, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, wine, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Add sliced sausage to the pot. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 50 minutes or until the barley is cooked. Remove cover and stir in spinach. Cook another  3 or 4 minutes, uncovered, till spinach has softened. Serve.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

The allrecipes logo. Disclaimer

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not
compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.

Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews
on From Valerie’s Kitchen. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this
blog are purely the sole opinions of Valerie.

Categories: Main Dish, Pork, Recipe, Soups, Stews, and Chilis

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Bukowski Family says

    March 25, 2014 at 3:11 pm

    So, this is the first recipe from your website that we’ve made. (We know, we know–what took us so long?) We just so happened to have spinach, mushrooms, and Italian sausage on hand (which hardly ever happens–it was like a culinary trifecta). We don’t have a Dutch oven, so we just used a very large, heavy stock pot instead. It turned out terrifically! We will be making this throughout the spring, autumn, and winter. Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      March 26, 2014 at 8:59 pm

      Don’t you just love it when you happen to have everything you need for a recipe on hand? I’m so glad to hear it worked out for you!

      Reply
  2. Yep Another Valerie says

    May 21, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    Wow! Looks fabulous and sounds tasty! This is a must try for me very soon. Heck maybe this weekend!! Thanks

    Reply
  3. Kim Beaulieu says

    April 25, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    This is one of those recipes where I want to scream “get in mah bellah” very loudly.

    Reply
  4. Bams Kitchen says

    April 11, 2013 at 1:37 am

    I really enjoyed your interview at cravings of a lunatic… it is so nice to get to know you a little better. Your youngest is graduating soon, this will be a life changing experience for you. You are going to have teach yourself not to cook for a football team anymore, might be one of the biggest challenges after all these years with 4 boys. A great way to fill them up and warm them up with this delicious hearty sausage and barley stew.

    Reply
  5. Jean | Lemons & Anchovies says

    April 10, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    Just got home from the office–too lazy to cook. Boy am I wishing I had this on the stove now. You’re right, there’s still a little bit of winter in our neck of the woods so wouldn’t mind cooking this soon.

    By the way, enjoyed reading your interview at Cravings…
    and your lemon bars are to die for!

    Reply
  6. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    April 10, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    This looks so comforting! I haven’t really eaten much lately but all the sudden I get a nice appetite looking at this. Hope you are enjoying very nice spring weather. I am a 24/7 stew eater, and this sounds very good, Valerie!

    Reply
  7. wok with ray says

    April 9, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    This is my kind of food — hearty comfort food! This stew is making me drool! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

    April 8, 2013 at 11:32 am

    I can definitely see myself making this soon, Valerie! It looks so warm, comforting and scrumptious! Great meal, thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  9. Natalie says

    April 8, 2013 at 7:31 am

    This looks like a flavorful and comforting stew! I love using barley in stews !

    Reply
  10. mjskit says

    April 7, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    I love adding Italian sausage to soup. There is something about the flavor that it adds, especially when there are greens involved. I don’t use barley much, but your soup makes me want to go buy some. Definitely a delicious, hearty and healthy soup!

    Reply
  11. Val says

    April 7, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    I think we have the same taste in food. Loving this comfort goodness.

    Reply
  12. [email protected] says

    April 7, 2013 at 7:28 am

    Nothing says comfort food quite like that big pot up there! My family would also fall in love with this!! Beautiful stew!

    Reply

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