Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup with Barley

 

1

cup uncooked regular pearl barley

1

dried bay leaf

1/2

teaspoon fennel seed

1 1/2

cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots, halved crosswise

1

cup sliced celery (2 medium stalks)

1

medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2

cup chopped green bell pepper (1/2 medium)

2

cloves garlic, minced

1

large dark-orange sweet potato, peeled, cubed

1 1/2

cups Green Giant® Niblets® frozen corn (from 1-lb bag)

1 1/2

cups Green Giant® frozen cut green beans (from 1-lb bag)

1 1/4

teaspoons salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

2

cans (14 oz each) vegetable broth

6

cups water

1

can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

• 1 In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, layer all ingredients except tomatoes; do not stir.
• 2 Cover; cook on Low setting 6 to 8 hours.
• 3 About 10 minutes before serving, stir tomatoes into soup. Cover; cook on Low setting 10 minutes longer or until tomatoes are thoroughly heated. Remove bay leaf before serving.