Photo: Slow-Cooker Bean and Barley Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried multibean mix or Great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed
- 6 cups water
- 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
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
- 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.
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.
Per Serving (based on a 4-serving yield): Calories: 463; Total Fat: 16 grams; Saturated Fat: 5 grams; Protein: 23 grams; Total carbohydrates: 61 grams; Sugar: 11 grams; Fiber: 16 grams; Cholesterol: 4 milligrams; Sodium: 2693 milligrams
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By j9caplan
philadelphia, pa
on March 11, 2013
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Came out perfectly! We uses broth & water, soaked the beans overnight, and also added leeks. Very hearty forjust beans! Crusty bread is a must.
By lostasia
on February 09, 2013
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So much more delicious that I would have expected given the simple ingredients list. I added in some wild rice, used diced canned tomatoes instead of whole, substituted herbs de provence for the Italian herb blend and also used pinto beans instead of Great Northerns or mixed beans. The cooking time was a bit short on low - I had to raise the slow cooker heat to high for the last hour.
By tviola_13101524
Oviedo, 48
on November 06, 2012
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My family loved it! I am glad I read the reviews first we did not add the salt and it was perfect with the parmsean cheese. I also used vegetable stock instead of water, and Mrs. Dash italian seasoning and it turned out wonderful! serve with some saltine crackers for a perfect easy crock pot meal!
Read all 35 reviews