Sweet Potato Soup

I would not consider myself a person who likes soup, I don't seek it out and I've never found myself uttering the words "oh yeah, I love soup" but it's fall now and even in sunny LA the air has become brisk, wood smoke burns somewhere within smelling distance and eating something warm and comforting sounds like a good idea.  Also we go this new Ninja slow cooker.  I've been raving to my family about it, how amazing it is, all the great accessories it came with, everything a good wifey could every want in a kitchen appliance.  It also came with a cookbook from which we've been basing our meals just to try it out and get some new recipes in the mix.  Last night I made Celery and Sweet Potato Soup with Barley and it was so amazing I even ate soup for lunch today and along with never expressing my joy for soup I never express my joy for leftovers.  I honestly don't even know what possessed me to try this recipe, but I'm glad I did, it's amazing.

What you need: 
1 tbsp olive oil
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1/2 of a white onion, finely chopped 
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup pearl barley, uncooked (I used hulled barley because that's what they had at my farmers market and it was just as delicious as I would imagine pearl barley to be, and more nutritious)

How you do it:
My slow cooker has the ability to saute right in the pot (seriously, do yourself a favor and buy a Ninja) but you can do this first part on the stove then add it to the pot.  So heat the olive oil on high in a pan then add in the celery and onion and cook for about 10 minutes until tender, then add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often.  Now throw this into the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours until everything is fork tender.  DONE!  Was that the easiest thing ever?  

It will look chunky and not very brothy but once in your mouth the soup will taste creamy because the sweet potatoes are soft.  I slathered some salted butter on good bread to enjoy with my soup but it's quite hearty and satisfying on it's own.