Lunch: Toasted Barley and Pepper Soup

You can try other grains in this soup too like whole spelt, farro or wheatberries.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Barley

Health benefits of Toasted Barley and Pepper Soup

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.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup quick cooking barley
2 links roasted garlic chicken sausage, diced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 small or 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced sodium diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Add the oil to a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the barley and sauté until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and sauté 2 more minutes.
Add the onion, celery, carrots, and bell peppers, and sauté about 3 minutes or until the onions begin turn clear.
Add the garlic and sauté 1 more minute.
Stir in the chicken broth and tomatoes. 
Add the bay leaf, salt (optional), and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and serve.