pot herbs and barley all you do is put them in the slow cooker and cook it till its soft. its really good

Slow cookers are excellent for making soups and stews of any kind. You pretty much just toss the raw ingredients in, wait a couple of hours and ta-dah! You've got a meal. Try experimenting with different broths/stocks and combinations of veggies and herbs.

Ooooh I had some great 4 bean chili last Saturday. I'd be whooping up on that one. From the Columbus Dispatch: FOUR-BEAN VEGETARIAN CHILI Makes 8 servings Buy chopped celery, onions and green pepper from a trusted salad bar. Save time by using packaged chili seasoning mixes. Replace 1 can of beans with 1 cup of frozen corn, if you like. 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 sweet onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 canned chipotle peppers, finely chopped, drained 2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped, drained 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes 1 can (16 ounces) black beans, drained 1 can (16 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained 1 can (16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained 1 can (16 ounces) white kidney beans, cannellini or butter beans, drained 1 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes Freshly ground black pepper Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in chipotle and sun-dried tomatoes. Add crushed tomatoes, beans, vegetable broth, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, thyme, red-pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. PER SERVING: 324 calories; 15 g protein; 59 g carbohydrates; 18 g fiber; 6 g fat (1 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 1,510 mg sodium