Simple Slow Cooker Barley Recipe with Curry & Carrots
This slow cooker barley recipe with curry and carrots is an easy, hands off side dish packed with flavor that's also healthy and frugal.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 122kcal
Equipment
- 4 to 6 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups pearl or hulled barley
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (increase to 4-1/2 for hulled barley)- in a pinch you can use water
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs of choice: parsley chives, thyme, or a mix (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder, to taste*
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste - more needed if using unsalted homemade broth)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne optional, to taste
- Optional additional vegetables see note**
- Yogurt and chutney for serving, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bowl of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- For pearled barley: cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours.
- For hulled barley: cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours (or until tender).
- Serve with yogurt and chutney, if desired.
Notes
*For a light curry flavor, use 2 teaspoons of a mild Indian curry. We like things spicy, so I use 3 teaspoons of curry labeled hot. If we only have mild curry, that's when I add a bit of cayenne powder for an extra kick.
**Optional Vegetables: You can add more vegetables if you'd like. Chopped greens like chard and kale or chopped celery, mushrooms, red peppers can all be added with the other ingredients. To use chopped spinach or peas, add them during last 1/2-hour of cooking.
Storage & Meal Prep: This curry barley actually gets better with time, so it's great as a meal prep option paired with a grilled or baked protein to eat during the week. It will last in the fridge for about a week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 396mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1.5g
