Sweet Potato and Barley Chili (Slow Cooker Recipe!)

taken from The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson

Step one can be done ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days (just add an extra 1/2 cup broth before cooking since the barley soaks up liquid from sitting).

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil (I used vegetable)
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano (I skipped by accident)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup barley (I upped to ~3/4 cup)
28oz coarsely crushed tomatoes with juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-in cubes (I only had 1)
2 cups cooked red kidney or black beans (I used a 15 oz can, but the recipe says that 1 cup of dried beans, reconstituted and cooked works as well)
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp lime juice (dissolve the chili powder in this)
1 jalapeno pepper minced, or 1/2 to 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (the chipotle makes it smokier - amounts can be adjusted to desired spiciness, I used ~1 tbsp jalapeno relish that I always have in the fridge)
1 green bell pepper, diced (this was optional so I skipped)
finely chopped cilantro for garnish (I didn't have, but it sounds yum)
sour cream for garnish (also yum)

1. Dissolve chili powder in lime juice. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring until softened (~3 mins). Add minced garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add barley and toss to coat. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil (my crushed tomatoes were more like a sauce, so I only heated until it bubbled briefly in order to keep from over-thickening). Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.

2. Add vegetable broth, sweet potatoes and beans. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until barley and sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in chili powder solution, jalapeno pepper, and bell pepper, if using. Cover and cook on High for 20 to 30 minutes, until flavors have melded and bell pepper is tender (since I didn't use the bell pepper, I only did 10 minutes). To serve, ladle into soup plates and garnish with roasted pepper strips, if using, and sour cream and cilantro.

This recipe turned out delicious. It was nice and hearty and included a grain so I didn't bother adding any sides - it was a great stand alone. I'll probably serve it again tomorrow night with Baked Hominy and Cheese. My recipe book says it's easily halved, and we got ~6 servings out of it. Of course, the ace in the hole for us is that it's Sadie-approved!