I didn't realize until just now that my link to the chickpea & barley stew was bad. Here's the recipe I was trying to link to:

Put into a two quart pot:

• 1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes, and the same amount of water


• 1 15 oz can chickpeas (aka Garbonzo beans), drained and rinsed


• Aproximately 1 cup each:
  
  • sliced carrots
  
  
  • sliced bell peppers
  
  
  • Cut leaf spinach
  
  
• About one tablespoon of your favorite salt-free Italian seasoning blend


• Garlic powder (to taste)


• Cayenne powder (to taste)

Bring to a rapid boil, and add:

• 3/4 cup Pearl barley

Stir it in, cover the pot tightly, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook without stirring 45 minutes, or until the barley has absorbed nearly all the liquid, and is tender to the tooth (basically, cook the barley just the way you'd cook brown rice).

If you're using hulled barley, instead of pearled, increase the simmering time to an hour. If you want to preserve the quality of vitamin C in the spinach, you can stir it in at the end, and just let it simmer till it's heated through.