Southwestern Black Beans And Barley - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups dried black beans
1 cup barley
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 medium leek, washed well, white part only, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons celery seeds
8 cups vegetable broth
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (to garnish) (optional)
sour cream, as desired (to garnish) (optional)

Preparation

Rinse and sort the beans.
Soak them overnight. Drain.
Place in 6 quart crock pot, with barley on top.
Add celery, onion, garlic and leek to the mixture in the pot, along with tomatoes, seasonings and broth.
Set crock pot to cook on low for 8 hours.
(Optional: Serve with cheese as a garnish and top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream).