Toasted Barley and Pepper Soup - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
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.
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 Toasted Barley and Pepper Soup contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Olive oil: Anti-inflammatory properties make it especially beneficial for PCOS
- Garlic: May help reduce cholesterol levels often elevated in PCOS
- Tomato: Antioxidants help combat oxidative stress elevated in PCOS
- Bell pepper: Vitamin C supports adrenal function and may help manage cortisol levels in PCOS
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 Toasted Barley and Pepper Soup 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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