This modern twist on the classic one-pot features fresh, late-summer vegetables, lentils, barley, and herbs. Vegetables are packed with a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals well studied for their role in lowering cancer risk. AICR recommends basing meals around plant foods and aiming to fill at least two-thirds of your plate with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, with liquid, reduced sodium
- 2 cubes vegetable bouillon, reduced sodium
- 1/2 cup green lentils, uncooked
- 1/2 cup barley, uncooked
- 1 medium onion (red, yellow, or white)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced (purple, yellow, or orange)
- 2 small summer squash (i.e., zucchini, scalloped, yellow crookneck), sliced
- 4 small, thin-skinned potatoes, diced (i.e., Yukon gold or red potatoes)
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried mustard
- 6 slices whole grain bread
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (i.e., sage, parsley, basil, oregano, chives, marjoram)
- Sea salt (optional)
Directions
- In large pot, add water, tomatoes, and vegetable bouillon and stir together.
- Add lentils, barley, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, squash, potatoes, mushrooms, black pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano, and mustard. Stir well and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and cook for about 1 hour, until barley and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Replace any water lost to evaporation (should make a thick, hearty texture).
- Toast whole grain bread in the oven or toaster until brown and very crisp. Slice into small cubes.
- Add lemon juice and fresh herbs to the soup, and season with a small amount of salt (if desired).
- Ladle hot soup into soup bowls and garnish with whole grain croutons (1/2 slice of toast per serving). Refrigerate leftover soup and reheat as desired (add croutons just before serving to maintain crisp texture).
Notes
To make this recipe in a slow cooker, add all ingredients in steps 1-2 to the slow cooker, stir well, cover, and set to high for 4 hours. When done, follow step 3 as directed, add ingredients in step 4 to slow cooker, and serve soup as directed in step 5.
This recipe is by Sharon Palmer, RDN, The PlantPowered Dietitian. She is a Los Angeles-based, award-winning food and nutrition writer, plant-based food expert, and author of Plant-Powered for Life and The Plant-Powered Blog.
This recipe contains cancer fighting foods:
This recipe was specially crafted to support cancer prevention and survival. It adheres to AICR's Cancer Prevention Recommendations. Learn more about our recipe guidelines.
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