Recipe Creamy Pearl Barley Risotto
Healthy choice
Mostly whole foods
Soy-free option
Refined sugar free
Nut-free option
Freshly Picked
Easy peasy
Comfort food
Main meals
A rich, creamy risotto that also happens to pack a little more nutritional punch than your garden variety. That’s because barley is well-stocked with fibre, protein, and some key nutrients like magnesium and iron!
You will need
Serves 4
- 50 millilitres of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 heaped teaspoon Aleppo pepper powder or paprika powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 2 litres of vegetable stock
- 1 block plant-based chèvre*
- Salt and black pepper
To serve:
- 1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Recipe: Simon Toohey
Directions
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Step 1
Add extra virgin olive oil, onion, and garlic with a pinch of salt to a pot on medium-low heat. Gently sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
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Step 2
Pour in the fennel seeds, Aleppo pepper and bay leaves, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, bring the stock up to boil in a separate pot.
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Step 4
Add the dry pearl barley to your onion & garlic mixture, stirring to cook it for a few minutes. You’ll start to hear a soft popping sound from the barley when it’s time to add the stock…
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Step 5
Add a ladle of stock at a time to your barley pot. When the liquid is absorbed by the barley as it cooks, add another ladle, and continue adding stock one ladle at a time. After the last ladle, the barley should be nice and plump and soft. If not, add some more stock or water until the barley is soft.
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Step 6
Add the chèvre and stir through the risotto until melted through; take the risotto off heat.
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Step 7
Top with parsley, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to serve.
Variation
*If you can’t find a plant-based ‘chèvre’ at your local shop, feel free to use any creamy plant-based cheese you like. The nut-based ones will probably work best here!
Recipe: Simon Toohey
