Serve up a bowl of comfort with this stew, which features tender beef, sweet carrots, and fiber-filled barley.
Trim any excess fat from beef and cut into chunks. Pat dry with paper towels and season all over with kosher salt and pepper.
In 12-inch skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add beef chunks to skillet and cook 3 minutes per side until browned on both sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Add onion and carrots. Cook 4 minutes. Stir often. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet. Stir and scrape any browned bits. Transfer to slow cooker, along with mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, tomato paste, beef broth, and barley. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover slow cooker and cook on low 4 hours.
Uncover slow cooker and give stew a good stir. Cover and cook on low another 2 hours until barley and beef are tender. Stir in an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to get desired consistency.