Pot barley and baby bok-choy come together to provide a high fiber, anti-oxidant rich meal. I love one pot meals where you have tons of nutrients and couldn’t ask for anything more in one pot! This vegetarian meal is perfect to have for lunches during the rest of the week as well. And because it has everything in one pot —all you need to pack is one container for your healthy lunch.

Makes 8-10 servings

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 or 2 onions, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, minced

8 cups of vegetable broth (I use the McCormick Vegetable MSG free bouillon to create my own)

4 cups of baby bok-choy, bottoms of the stalks chopped off

3 peeled carrots, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

A 19-ounce can (540 mL) of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

A 28-ounce (796 mL) can of whole tomatoes, drained and shredded

1 cup of pot barley

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of basil

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 cup of frozen green peas

In a soup pot, add the vegetable oil over medium-heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring for about 2-3 minutes until onions and garlic are softened. Pour in the vegetable broth. Toss in the bok-choy, carrots, celery ribs, white kidney beans, and tomatoes. Add in the pot barley. Stir in the cumin, oregano, basil and a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Splash in the lemon juice. For a moment, bring the soup up to a vigorous boil, then reduce to a low-medium heat. Cover with lid and simmer for 45 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Prior to eating, add frozen peas. Love this trick! It helps cool the soup to prevent your little one’s tongue from burning on hot, hot soup!

If desired, add some more fresh ground pepper.

Nutrition Bonus:

Eating foods that are delicious AND good for me gets me excited. Did you know that 1 cup of cooked barley has 6 grams of fiber? That, folks, is the highest amount of fiber when compared to any other whole grain—yep, even quinoa! That isn't the only reason I love barley -- it's also a rich source of the mineral selenium. Selenium plays a role in our immune and thyroid function. But let’s not forget the baby bok-choy. It’s so easy to cook—chop off the bottom of the stalks and throw it in the pot. Now that’s my kind of cooking. Baby bok-choy, along with other cruciferous vegetables, is well-known for its anti-cancer properties. Many studies have shown that people who regularly consume more cruciferous vegetables have a lower risk of developing breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer. (Cruciferous vegetables, Higdon Ph.D., Jane, Linus Pauling Institute)

Enjoy and be healthy!

Lalitha