If you've ever gotten home on a particularly draining Monday and wished dinner would just cook itself, then this recipe for Slow-Cooker Bean and Barley Soup is just for you. After all, what better way to celebrate Meatless Monday than with a recipe that’ll hit the spot and save you some precious time?

This no-hassle meal can be prepped in merely 15 minutes, with minor work involving some chopping and squeezing. Once that's done, you put the sorted-out ingredients together in the slow cooker before work, and by the time you're home about eight hours later — voila! Your dinner is nearly done.  All you have left to do is add in the cheese, stir in the spinach, season and serve.

Meatless Monday, an international movement, encourages people everywhere to cut meat one day a week for personal and planetary health. Browse more Meatless Monday recipes.