Veggie and Barley Soup

This was a great crockpot meal from this week. It is a hearty vegetarian soup. If you want a sweeter soup, try sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. It makes a big pot of soup, but makes great leftovers!

Ingredients:
• 1 cup medium pearl barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 9-oz. pkg. baby carrots
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 (14 oz). cans vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained

Preparation:
Place all ingredients except tomatoes in a 5-6 quart crockpot in the order given. Do not stir. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir soup and add tomatoes. Cover crockpot and cook for 10-15 minutes longer until soup is hot. Remove bay leaf before serving. 10 servings