Step 1

Dice the onion and garlic, slice the carrots and celery, and quarter the mushrooms. If you are prepping this in advance to make at a later time, add these ingredients to a freezer bag with the dry barley. Add a label with the other ingredients you need and how long it will cook in the crockpot. Put it in the freezer and pull it out to thaw in the fridge a day before or the morning of the day you want to make the meal.

Step 2

Add the veggies and barley to the slow cooker with the broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, and salt. Stir, cover, and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Step 3

Taste the soup before serving, and add salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy warm with crunchy bread!