Bleh. I don’t think the weather can get any grosser. Dreary, cold rain ranks at the bottom in my book. Sadly, another day stuck indoors is nothing new for us these days, but to feel a little better about it, I put on a yummy veggie slow-cooker soup. The house is starting to smell pretty good, and it made me think I should share the love with you guys. Most of the ingredients are things I generally keep on hand, but feel free to make substitutions with this recipe. Oh, and for a little extra tastiness, serve with Caramelized Onion Flatbread. Yum.
Slow Cooker Bean and Barley Soup, from Food Network
Ingredients
* 1 cup dried multibean mix or Great Northern beans, rinsed
* 6 cups water – I sub veggie stock for extra flavor
* 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice
* 3 cloves garlic, smashed
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 2 medium carrots, chopped
* 1/2 medium onion, chopped * 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
* 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend (or mix of parsley, oregano and basil)
* 1/2 cup pearl barley
* 1 bay leaf
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, optional
* 3 cups cleaned baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Put beans, water, tomatoes and their juices, garlic, celery, carrots, onion, barley, bay leaf, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, herb blend, pepper, and porcini mushrooms (if using) in a slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW until the beans are quite tender and the soup is thick, about 8 hours (it actually takes my slow cooker about 12 hours on low).
Stir in the spinach, cheese, and vinegar, cover, and let the soup cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle each serving with olive oil.
Stay warm and dry!
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