Minestrone Soup with Black Beans & Barley - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 large carrots
- 4 stalks large celery
- 2 medium green summer squash
- 1/2 medium green pepper
- 1 can red tomatoes
- 1 cup canned black beans
- 1 cup cooked barley
- 2 tsps salt
- 2 tbsps black pepper
- 2 tbsps dried barley
- 2 tsps ground dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Chop onion, garlic, carrot, celery and green pepper into small pieces.
- Add to a large pot (set on medium-low) and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to keep vegetables from sticking.
- After about 10 minutes, add chopped green summer squash and tomatoes and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken stock, 2 cups of water, black beans, and half the spices to vegetable mix and continue cooking (uncovered) for about 20-25 minutes (until the vegetables are tender).
- Add barley, remaining spices and remaining water and continue simmering for 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your liking!
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Minestrone Soup with Black Beans & Barley contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Black bean: Support blood sugar control and provide sustained energy
- Garlic: May help reduce cholesterol levels often elevated in PCOS
- Tomato: Antioxidants help combat oxidative stress elevated in PCOS
- Onion: Support cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Minestrone Soup with Black Beans & Barley can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Barley.
Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley.
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