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.
Tray-Braised Cholent for an Easy Sabbath Meal
A tray-style cholent that turns beef chuck, soaked navy beans and pearl barley into a deeply savory, tomato-tinged one-dish supper after a long, gentle braise.
From Sabbath Table Studio recipe developer Sam Rivera comes a practical, kosher-friendly take on classic cholent: large cubes of beef chuck browned for caramelized flavor, pearl barley and plump navy beans that swell into a creamy bite, and chunks of potato and carrot that soften and soak up the broth. The tomato paste and onion give the liquid a warm umami lift, while paprika, cumin and bay leaves add a subtle, homey spice that keeps each spoonful interesting.
A few technique notes make a big difference: soak the navy beans overnight (or use the quick-soak method) so they finish tender without falling apart; brown the beef in batches to get those rich browned edges; and don’t skip blooming the tomato paste with the onions and garlic — it deepens the sauce. Everything gets layered into a heavy tray or slow cooker with beef broth and a splash of water so the barley and beans can fully hydrate.
This is a long-cook dish (about 10 hours on low in a slow cooker or a low oven), which is exactly its charm — time does the work. The barley swells into a silky body, the beans become plump and yielding, and the beef pulls apart into fork-tender pieces. Potatoes and carrots finish soft and threaded with the savory tomato-broth, so every scoop is a complete meal.
It’s an ideal make-ahead centerpiece: assemble the night before, slow-cook while you’re away, and reheat easily for a comforting dinner. Serve straight from the tray as the main course for four; a simple green salad or crusty bread are all you need to round out the plate.
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