Bean Barley Vegetable Soup

Total Time: 12 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 12 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 8 ounces dried beans (great northern, cannellini, navy)
• 1 cup uncooked barley (hulled or pearl)
• 1 large russet potato, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 4 ounces mushrooms, quartered and sliced
• 8 -10 cups vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon instant minced garlic
• 2 -3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried chipotle powder (optional)
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 pick over / rinse the dried beans, and add them to the slow cooker crock pot. cover them with about 6 cups of water. add the minced onion, minced garlic and bay leaves. set the slow cooker to "low" and cook overnight or about 6 hours.
• 2 in the morning or when done, pour the beans into a colander and rinse. try to preserve the minced garlic / onion if possible, but pick out the bay leaves. return the beans to the pot, and add in the remainder of the ingredients, making sure to stir thoroughly.
• 3 set the slow cooker to "high" and cook approximately 6 hours, again. stir and check on the soup every 2 hours if possible, and add more broth or lower heat to "low" if necessary.