A hearty, slow-braised tray of tender beef, soft potatoes and carrots, plump beans and pearl barley in a rich, savory tomato-tinged broth; deeply comforting served hot as a one-dish meal.
Slow-Braised Tray Cholent: A One-Pan Comfort Feast
A hands-off, all-in-one tray of melting beef, plump beans, pearl barley and tender potatoes that simmers into a rich, tomato-tinged pot of comfort.
This cholent-style tray is the kind of dinner that arrives on the table smelling like the best kind of slow work: warm, savory, and utterly forgiving. It solves that perennial kitchen problem—how to feed a small crowd well with minimum fuss—by letting inexpensive beef chuck, dried navy beans and pearl barley slowly trade flavor in a single pan until everything is falling-apart tender. The tomato paste and browned onions deepen the broth, while paprika and cumin add a subtle warmth that keeps the bowl interesting bite after bite.
A few technique notes make a big difference. Soak the navy beans overnight (or use the quick-soak method) so they turn plump instead of mealy. Brown the beef in batches for caramelized edges that build the stew’s backbone; then cook the onions and garlic with a minute of tomato paste to “bloom” that concentrated flavor. Toss everything—beef, drained beans, pearl barley, bay leaves, spices, potatoes and carrots—into a heavy tray or slow cooker, pour in enough beef broth to just cover, and let very low heat do the rest.
Plan for the long haul: this cooks best 8–10 hours on low, whether you choose a slow cooker or a low oven. The long, gentle braise turns the barley pillowy and the potatoes into little flavor sponges, thickening the broth into something almost stew-like. Taste and adjust salt and pepper at the end; if you’d like firmer potato pieces, tuck them in halfway through the cook instead of at the start.
Leftovers are a real win—flavors settle and become even more cohesive after a night in the fridge, and reheating is effortless. Serve straight from the tray as a no-fuss main, brightened with a scattering of chopped parsley or a squeeze of lemon if you want a lift, plus a simple green salad on the side to cut the richness.
Ingredients
How to Make Beef Vegetable Cholent Style Tray
- Soak the dried navy beans in cold water overnight (or use a quick soak: cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and soak 1 hour); drain and set aside.
- Cut the beef chuck into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes, season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, then heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides in batches, about 6–8 minutes total; transfer browned beef to the tray or slow cooker.
- In the same skillet reduce heat to medium, add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes, then add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more to bloom the tomato paste.
- Scrape the onion–tomato mixture into the tray or slow cooker with the beef, add the drained beans, pearl barley, bay leaves, paprika, cumin, remaining salt and pepper, and pour in the beef broth plus 1/2 cup water to ensure everything is just covered.
- Peel (if desired) and cut the potatoes into large chunks and cut carrots into thick pieces; nestle them into the mixture so they are mostly submerged in the liquid.
- For oven method: cover the ovenproof tray tightly with a lid or foil and cook at 250°F (120°C) for 8–10 hours until beans and barley are tender and meat shreds easily; for slow-cooker method: set on LOW and cook 8–10 hours or on HIGH 4–5 hours.
- Check about 1 hour before the end of cooking: if the liquid is too low add up to 1/2 cup hot water, and adjust seasoning to taste with more salt and pepper; remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve hot straight from the tray as a one-dish meal, spooning plenty of the rich broth over each portion; leftovers refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat gently on the stove or in a low oven.
Recipe Card
Beef Vegetable Cholent Style Tray
A hearty, slow-braised tray of tender beef, soft potatoes and carrots, plump beans and pearl barley in a rich, savory tomato-tinged broth; deeply comforting served hot as a one-dish meal.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 10 hr
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak the dried navy beans in cold water overnight (or use a quick soak: cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and soak 1 hour); drain and set aside.
- Cut the beef chuck into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes, season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, then heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides in batches, about 6–8 minutes total; transfer browned beef to the tray or slow cooker.
- In the same skillet reduce heat to medium, add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes, then add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more to bloom the tomato paste.
- Scrape the onion–tomato mixture into the tray or slow cooker with the beef, add the drained beans, pearl barley, bay leaves, paprika, cumin, remaining salt and pepper, and pour in the beef broth plus 1/2 cup water to ensure everything is just covered.
- Peel (if desired) and cut the potatoes into large chunks and cut carrots into thick pieces; nestle them into the mixture so they are mostly submerged in the liquid.
- For oven method: cover the ovenproof tray tightly with a lid or foil and cook at 250°F (120°C) for 8–10 hours until beans and barley are tender and meat shreds easily; for slow-cooker method: set on LOW and cook 8–10 hours or on HIGH 4–5 hours.
- Check about 1 hour before the end of cooking: if the liquid is too low add up to 1/2 cup hot water, and adjust seasoning to taste with more salt and pepper; remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve hot straight from the tray as a one-dish meal, spooning plenty of the rich broth over each portion; leftovers refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat gently on the stove or in a low oven.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 90
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Sodium
- 1350
- Fiber
- 14
- Unsaturated Fat
- 27
- Protein
- 60
- Fat
- 42
- Cholesterol
- 150
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 920
- Sugar
- 7