Ingredients:

  • 1 medium (150g) yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves (15g) garlic, minced
  • 2 large (120g) carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 stalks (60g) celery, chopped
  • 3/4 cup (160g) pearled barley, rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425g) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup (100g) frozen peas
  • 6 cups (1.4L) low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz / 411g) diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1 tsp (5g) dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups (60g) chopped kale
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the pearled barley under cold water until the water runs clear. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into uniform pieces.
  2. Combine the diced onion, garlic, carrots, celery, barley, drained beans, diced tomatoes, broth, thyme, and bay leaf in the slow cooker. Stir well to ensure the barley is submerged.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours until the barley is plump and translucent and the broth has thickened.
  4. Stir in the frozen peas and chopped kale. Cover for an additional 10 minutes until the kale is wilted and the peas are bright green.
  5. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the fresh lemon juice before serving.