Lunch: Hearty Minestrone with Barley, Sage, and Beans Recipe | MyRecipes

Recipe by Micol Negrin Chill the bacon to make it easier to chop finely. For a special treat, top each serving with one tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Barley

Health and fertility benefits of Hearty Minestrone with Barley, Sage, and Beans Recipe | MyRecipes

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 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
2 tablespoons finely chopped applewood-smoked bacon (about 1 ounce)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups finely chopped Savoy cabbage
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups peeled Yukon gold potato (about 1 medium), cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 8 ingredients (through garlic); sauté 5 minutes. Add cabbage and next 5 ingredients (through cannellini beans); bring to a boil. Stir in potato and barley. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in green beans; cook 5 minutes.

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