I’m home sick right now with the cold/flu from hell, so a little shot of miso is just what the doctor ordered. And I tell you, this was easy and super delicious. And came out of the slow cooker, so I basically just had to sit around for it to do its thing. I prepped everything yesterday (using my food processor to chop and dice) and threw it all (less the beans, miso and toppings) in the slow cooker this morning. Prep time was about 15 minutes all together. I got this from Judith Finlayson’s Sensational Slow Cooker Gourmet. Ahhh, Judith, how I love your recipes…
The stuff
1 t olive oil
4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 onions, finely chopped
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t cracked black peppercorns
1 c barley (I used pot barley – yum!)
7 c vegetable or chicken stock (I used a combo)
2 c sliced green beans
1/4 c dark miso
1/2 c finely chopped fresh parsley
smattering of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
And now…
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add carrots, celery and onions; cook until carrots are softened, stirring occasionally – about 7 minutes. Add thyme and peppercorns and cook for about a minute. Add barley, tossing to coat. Add stock and bring to a boil. Transfer to the slow cooker (or cover and refrigerate for up to two days).
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4, until barley is tender. Add green beans and miso. Cover and cook on High until beans are tender – about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan. We had this with lovely Sourdough from the Farmer’s Market. (For 6 servings, a bowl was 4 Weight Watchers points). Enjoy! Ren
blisteringlydrunk 