Vegetarian French Onion and Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium onions (any type), thinly sliced
• 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 8 cups Veggie Scraps Broth ( page 120 ) , low-sodium vegetable broth, or water
• ¼ cup dry red wine or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves and stems, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus sprigs for garnish if desired
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 slices baguette or slim-sized crusty whole-grain bread
• 2 ounces cheese (such as mozzarella, Manchego, or Monterey Jack), cut into 8 slices

Instructions

1. 1Coat the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with the olive oil and arrange the sliced onions in an even layer.
2. 2Scatter the pearl barley over the onions, then pour in the vegetable broth, red wine, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Secure the lid and cook on the high setting for 4 hours.
3. 3Position an oven rack about 4 inches below the heating element and turn the broiler to high about 15 minutes before the soup finishes cooking.
4. 4Arrange the baguette slices on a large, rimmed baking sheet and place one slice of cheese on each piece of bread.
5. 5Broil the bread for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts completely, watching closely to prevent burning.
6. 6Discard the bay leaf from the slow cooker. Divide the soup among eight bowls and top each with a slice of the toasted cheese bread.
7. 7Transform this dish into a mushroom barley hybrid by preparing additional vegetables.
8. 8Select sustainable vegetables like mushrooms to bulk up the stew.
9. 9Mix 2 to 3 cups of sliced button or cremini mushrooms into the slow cooker along with the broth.
10. 10Allow the slow cooker to do the heavy lifting for an easy preparation process.
11. 11Share this comforting, slow-cooked meal with your dinner guests.

Nutrition

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