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Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach

This hearty vegetarian stew combines tender pearl barley and white beans with mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, spinach, and Italian-style tomatoes. Garlic, rosemary, white wine, and a pinch of red pepper flakes give the rich tomato broth gentle herbal warmth, making it a filling year-round meal served with crusty bread and a dry Chardonnay.

  • Prep15 mins
  • Cook1 hr
  • Serves6
  • DifficultyEasy
Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

56 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
60 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
15 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
100 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
1 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

69
Heart Health
50
Metabolic
59
Digestive
45
Inflammatory
45
Performance
65
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Bring the barley and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.

  2. 2

    Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Season with rosemary. Add the mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and wine to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.

  3. 3

    Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender.

  4. 4

    Season with rosemary.

  5. 5

    Add the mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and wine to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.

  6. 6

    Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach.

  7. 7

    Season with red pepper flakes.

  8. 8

    Continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.

About This Recipe

Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach is an Italian dinner recipe made with 14 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr 15 mins, serves 6, and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Barley, Canned Tomatoes, Diced Tomatoes, and Dried Rosemary. Each serving provides about 264.19 kcal, and is a good source of fiber.

Recipe Questions

What is Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach?
It is an Italian stew recipe made with 14 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch or soup.
What is Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach made of?
The main ingredients are Barley, Canned Tomatoes, Diced Tomatoes, Dried Rosemary, Garlic. The full list of 14 is above.
How long does it take to make Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach?
About 1 hr 15 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 1 hr to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 264.19 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 14 ingredients and 8 steps.
Is Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach healthy?
Barley Stew with White Beans and Spinach has an easyChef Pro health score of 56/100. Per serving, it provides 264.19 calories and 9.66 g of protein, or 19% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 437.17 mg (19% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 4.95 g (10% of the Daily Value). It contains Wheat, Gluten, Sulfites, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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