Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2009

very good play around with the spices it was a little bland.

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Mrs. Bishop

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Oct. 14, 2009

This is a very thick, healthy stew, but it was a bit bland when I made it exactly as written. On the second try, added a vegetable bullion cube, increased the pepper to 1 tsp, and added some salt and pepper. With these additions, it was great.

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Jackie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2009

This stew was very healthy (I substituted pinto for white beans), but it didn't have much flavor. After I added several spices it tasted fine, but the ingredients didn't have any flavor on their own. Also, after being refrigerated for one day, the spinach took on a slimy texture - quite unpleasant. However, it was very filling and not difficult to make.

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NMF

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Reviewed: Aug. 31, 2009

This recipe was a great start, and then I incorporated other's suggestions: I used 4 cups vegetable broth with the barley; used 2 tsp. olive oil when softening the onions/garlic (added the garlic a little later that the onions), didn't drain the italin diced tomatoes; used a whole bag (9 oz.) of Redipack baby spinach, added about 1 1/2 tsp. of cajun seasoning. It was just the perfect thickness after it finished cooking/sitting. I also made it in the morning and let the flavors meld til dinner. When serving it, I put in on a large flat plate and shaved parmesan cheese over the top. Since it was a warm and sl. spicy dish, I gave each person a cup of watermelon chunks on the side to balance the flavor/texture- a sweet and crunchy side). We also had warm crusty rolls/butter with it. My husband loved it all and had two plates. A great dish that vegetarians will also appreciate!

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linny

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Reviewed: Apr. 11, 2009

I thought this was fantastic...with some modifications. The barley definitely needs to cook for 45 minutes. I added extra garlic and wine, oregano, basil, more red pepper and a dash of cajun seasoning. I also added a lot of chicken broth to make it more soup like. This was a big hit with the friends I had over.

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Michelle

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Reviewed: Feb. 19, 2009

VERY Good - left out the mushrooms cause ... ummm yuck! Otherwise followed exactly. Great for a low cal meal and easy to make. Thanks!!

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CRUISEM

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Toms River, New Jersey, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 12, 2009

I loved this recipe, and I did take the suggestions from other reviewers. I cooked the barley in chicken broth, and instead of a "pinch" of red pepper flakes, I used 1 tsp. Otherwise, I followed the recipe, and my whole family loved it. We've already made it twice.

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Mindy

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Littleton, Colorado, USA

Living In: Aurora, Colorado, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 6, 2009

We loved this. I doubled the recipe so one pound of dried Great Northern beans (lovingly cooked at home because we do not like the taste of canned beans) and substituted 1 pound of chopped frozen collard greens added as the beans were added (the calcium in spinach is not bio-available).

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Dancing Cook from NC

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Feb. 1, 2009

Easy to make. We brought it to a potluck and our friends nearly finished off the whole bowl. I wonder if the people who found it bland might have used plain diced tomatoes rather than Italian style. I found it it have lots of flavor, although it was a bit on the salty side for me. I think next time I'll look for low salt Italian-style tomatoes.

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stimberl7

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Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2008

Not bad, but needed more flavor.

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HrCreuzi

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Reviewed: Oct. 22, 2008

This dish is delicious! I made it with extra garlic, 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of water.

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Fit&Healthy Mom

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Oct. 4, 2008

Very good and hearty! I aded more water and some chicken soup mix to make it into a soup.

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Chef4Six

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Monsey, New York, USA

Living In: Staten Island, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Jun. 21, 2008

Easy to make and delicious

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Lilly

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Reviewed: Feb. 20, 2008

I'm sure the originial is awesome, but I modified the heck out of it -- didn't use any barley, used thyme instead of rosemary, doubled the beans used, added a chicken breast (baked and shredded, like rotisserie-style) and didn't use mushrooms or peppers. The soup basically had 4 ingredients: beans, tomatoes, chicken and spinach. It's enriched with lots of garlic, onion and a splash of white wine. Delicious! Healthy and tasty enough that my boyfriend will eat it too. Top with parmesan!

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Jennifer

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Olympia, Washington, USA

Living In: Seattle, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 4, 2008

What a disappointment! This recipe looked good on paper, but didn't taste good at all. It was so bad that my husband, who usually eats everything, said he couldn't finish his bowl. I tried to save the soup by adding some tomatoes, but it didn't really help. The soup's taste is just too bland and the texture is just too weird (b/c of the couscous, I guess). I will never make this soup again.

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Daisy

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Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2007

I LOVE the combo of white beans with barley. Like many others, I cooked the barley in broth, and I let it cook for about 45 mins. I used dried beans instead of canned, I started them about 15 mins before I started the barley. I omitted the mushrooms and yellow pepper, but upped the garlic. I added a tad of garam masala, and plenty of crushed red pepper. I let the mixture of everything except the spinach cook for 20 mins. Then I added the spinach (more than 2 cups) for the last 10 mins. We topped with shredded mozzarella cheese. Delish!!

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abba

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Reviewed: Mar. 8, 2007

This was very good, although I don't know if I'd call it a stew. there wasn't much liquid to it at all. I ended up using 2 cans of stewed tomatoes with out draining them. Taste was very good, but it was more like a side dish for me.

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DanaL

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Long Island, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 28, 2007

This was very tasty, but as others have mentioned it was really almost too thick and needed some seasoning help. I added some vegetable stock to thin it out a bit and added some cajun type seasonings, more garlic and some more spinach to this. I tasted it right after I made it and really wasn't that impressed, but I let it sit in the fridge overnight and then WOW. Really much better!

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LindaT

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: San Jose, California, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 22, 2007

One word: Mmmmmm. Only changes were used pinto beans instead of white, and roasted the garlic in the oven instead of frying. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. I am going to make lots of this and freeze it for my lunches now on Fridays during lent!

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Nova

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 21, 2006

This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It was bland, like others said. The rosemary smelled wonderful cooking, but the flavor just wasn't there. Very easy to prepare! And it is a MEAL! Very thick and hearty. I left out the wine (who has two tablespoons of wine lying around?) and didn't have any peppers to add. All in all, it was a fine meal, but I probably won't repeat it.

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