Crock Pot Lentil Vegetable Barley Soup

By DreiFromBK

Ingredients

• 1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium summer squash (or zucchini), halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
• 1 C carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 C red lentils
• 1/2 C yellow split peas
• 1/2 C barley
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 C vegetable broth (or chicken or beef), plus ~2 C extra water
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/4 t black pepper
• fresh or dried basil to top (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

As with all crock pot recipes, this is a breeze to put together. Dice and layer all the veggies, and top with the grains, liquids and the spices (except the basil). The order I used was: onions and bell peppers, squash and carrots, lentils, peas, and barley, diced tomatoes and broth, salt, pepper, sugar, and finally the extra water.

Set the crock pot on low for eight hours or on high for four hours. The lentils, peas, and barley will absorb a lot of water, so you may need to add even more extra (unless you like a nice thick soup like I do–then you will be very pleased when you arrive home from class!).

Top with a sprinkle of basil and some pepper and enjoy!