Bean and Barley Stew

So...I *may* be in the midst of a weight loss competition.  Well, sort of.  I'm part of the group, but am not officially competing; just needed to get a little motivation.  Anyway, since I started this 12+ week journey, I've been eating mostly soup for dinner.  I love soup, and I figured one pot of soup could feed me for almost a whole week, so I'm not always having to prepare two different meals (my family would prefer something heartier than the dieting me is eating right now).  Anyway, I have had some pretty delicious soups, including Sumiko's meatless comfort soup and the one I'm writing about today: Bean and Barley Soup.  I guess I shouldn't really call it a soup; it's more of a really thick and hearty stew.  I actually adapted it from this website, and I love it!  I used all dried beans and prepared them in the slow cooker ahead of time (some I had made and frozen, so I just had to pull them out of the freezer and defrost).  This makes this meal really quite inexpensive.

Bean and Barley Stew
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
3 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 - 1 cup each lima beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans
3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
1-2 carrots, sliced
1 packed cup spinach, roughly chopped

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for about 2 minutes; add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and pepper; saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Stir in water, bouillon, tomato paste, and beans; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add barley, carrots, and spinach; simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until barley is done.  If using regular barley, add a little extra water and put the barley in with the beans; simmer until barley is done.  This is one of those things that actually tasted better the second day than the first; the flavors had time to meld better.