Crockpot Barley Casserole (vegan)

Is anyone else tired of the heat in some parts of the states? This week has been a steamy one in my area, and while I prefer the warmth over snow, these hot and humid days sure leave me unmotivated as far as cooking is concerned. Who loves turning on an oven when the heat index is 100 degrees F?  Or standing over a stove of sizzling and steaming pots and pans?  Not me! I’m a terrible and lazy cook when the temperature rises.

But one trick I’ve learned for enjoying a hot meal in the summer heat is to use my trusty crockpot!  Anyone who’s been following me knows I love my crockpot… I’ve cooked Cannelloni with Tomato Eggplant Sauce and Vegetarian Succotash, to name a couple of slow cooked meals I’ve liked.  A crockpot is an invaluable appliance during the summer months, in my opinion, because it can cook meals without heating up the house!

The recipe was simple enough; I made it easier by using a package of pre-cut mixed celery/onion I purchased at the grocery store, adding in a little bit more onion (again, pre-chopped but from the freezer section!). Also, I didn’t use fresh garlic, but the pre-minced kind in a jar. The only real prep work I had to do was chop a green bell pepper. Everything else was open and pour.

Overall this meal was pretty good, palatable to my hubby, too. It was kind of like a real thick tomato-based soup. We ate it with some rosemary olive oil bread. However, we both agreed the dish needs… je ne sais quoi. Something needs to be added to take this dish from “pretty good” to “wow.” It definitely has potential and has that stick-to-your-ribs thickness that so many omnivores (and veggies, too!) crave.

Vegan Barley Crockpot Casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes. Cook Time: 8 hours.

1 cup uncooked pearl barley

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz. can ready-to-serve vegetable broth

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts

Keep the pine nuts/walnuts aside, but place all other ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for up to 8 hours or until the barley and veggies are tender. Top with the pine nuts/walnuts before serving.

A few of my personal cooking notes about this meal: The estimated prep time was 20 minutes, which I found to be about right. Cook time was stated as 8 hours, though I thought the casserole looked done around 5-6 hours. It got really thick so I thinned it out with more veggie broth as well as some water. I should’ve kept track of how much additional broth I used; I’ll be more careful about that next time. If you chose to make this, you may want to do it on a day when you’ll be around to check on it and add in some extra broth here and there.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out!