Begin by heating a splash of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the beef stewing meat in batches, searing each piece for about 4-5 minutes until it’s nicely browned on all sides. Once done, transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.

In the same skillet, add your finely diced onion and sauté for about 3-4 minutes until it turns translucent. Next, stir in the minced garlic, salt, and black pepper, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Carefully transfer the sautéed aromatics to the slow cooker.

Inside the slow cooker, add the chopped carrots, chopped celery, rinsed barley, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Give it a good stir to mix all the ingredients well.

Pour the low-sodium beef broth over the combined ingredients in the slow cooker, ensuring that everything is submerged. Cover the slow cooker with its lid.

Set your slow cooker to low and let it cook for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the beef is fork-tender and the barley has softened beautifully.

Once cooking is complete, take off the lid and stir in a handful of fresh parsley just before serving. Serve the hearty beef and barley stew in bowls.