Low FODMAP Irish Lamb Stew – With Barley!
I cannot tell you how excited I am about this Low FODMAP Irish Lamb Stew! It all came about when I wanted to make another main dish for you all for St. Patrick’s Day in addition to the awesome Low FODMAP Corned Beef and Cabbage.
During my research I kept coming up with recipes for a warming, comfort-food stew featuring lamb and barley.
Is Barley Low FODMAP?
You might have noticed that pearl barley has a Red Light on the Monash app, and perhaps this has kept you from clicking through to read more. (ALWAYS click through to read more!)
Turns out that ⅛ cup (28 g) of cooked pearl barley is Green Light and Low FODMAP.
Pearl barley more than triples in size when cooked. 1 cup of pearl barley will yield 3 to 3 ½ cups of cooked barley. This means that approximately 2 teaspoons of raw barley will be your raw low FODMAP amount.
We have used ⅓ cup (66 g) raw pearl barley (just shy of 16 teaspoons) in our entire recipe here, which serves 9, so this serving size will yield a low FODMAP serving.
Barley, by the way, contains fructans and GOS, so if you have passed your Challenges, feel free to have a larger serving.
One Potato, Two Potato
You will notice that I call for a russet potato as well as Yukon Gold style potatoes. The floury, starchy russet is chopped and added early and will break down and help create a rich base. The waxier Yukon Gold potatoes will be added later and retain their shape.
One-Pot Wonder
This is a one pot meal that takes about 2 hours to cook, but that time is unattended while it is in the oven, where the low heat and a heavy Dutch-oven can work their magic. Once it is finished, dinner is ready!
And it even tastes better on Day 2 and Day 3!
Serve with a nice green salad.
Irish Mood
And if you are in an Irish mood, check out our Irish Soda Bread (2 versions), Irish Whiskey Chocolate Mousse, Black Velvet Chocolate Guinness Cake and Irish Coffee.
Also, read our article about the St. Patrick’s Day holiday in relation to the low FODMAP diet. We know you want to know about the green beer!
Low FODMAP Irish Lamb Stew
Our Low FODMAP Irish Lamb Stew features low FODMAP amounts of barley!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon neutral flavored vegetable oil
- 1 cup (72 g) chopped leeks, green parts only
- 1 cup (64 g) chopped scallions, green parts only
- 3- pounds (1.4 kg) lamb stew meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; not traditional, but adds savoriness
- 3 ½ cups (840 m) low FODMAP chicken stock
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into ½-inch (12 mm) diagonals
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1/3 cup (66 g) raw pearl barley
Preparation:
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Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C.
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Heat the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven over low-medium heat until the butter melts; add the leeks and scallions and sauté until softened but not browned. Add the lamb, thyme and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to combine with the leeks and scallions.
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Add the stock and the chopped russet potato, stirring everything together. Cover, bring to a boil, then place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.
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Season with some salt and pepper and stir in carrots, Yukon Gold potatoes and barley. Cover and cook for another 1 hour in oven.
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Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stew is ready to serve, or you may refrigerate it for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat on stovetop.
Notes:
Tips
- Most commercial chicken stock products contain high FODMAP ingredients. Make sure to read labels or make our homemade recipe! For the pantry I am partial to Fody Chicken Soup Base.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
This really is a One-Pot-Wonder. In fact, while reading the recipe, I was “wonder”-ing how this dish would taste with such minimal ingredients. However, I was in the mood for lamb and looking for something different. Being of mostly Italian descent, I am inherently suspicious about any recipe containing the the word “Irish”. (Sorry, Mom… maiden name McCoy). Fellow LowFODMAPers, this recipe has loudly called out my genetically programmed bias. Wow, oh wow, is this good. I am so happy I didn’t overlook this recipe. I was tempted to put in a dash more of this and that but my restraint was amply rewarded with a stew every bit as flavorful as I would have wanted. Nothing “bland” about this dish!
Anyone reading this: Listen to Barbara-Ann. She has become our most prolific Commenter and is working her way through our recipes with joy and care and takes the time to let us know her experiences. And every time she writes, her comments bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. She explains this dish perfectly. It is a sleeper. Looks sort of “plain” but ends up being easy, hearty, delicious comfort food. Give it a try! And let Barbara Ann and us know what you think:)