Pearl Barley Risotto with Lemon, Peas & Dill

Honestly, pearl barley was never something I cooked. I found it in the back of my pantry and gave it a go, made it just like I would a risotto and it came out beautifully creamy. If you want to up your fibre intake, pearl barley is a great substitute to rice.

This recipe is incredibly versatile, if you don’t like dill; use basil, parsley, chives, wild garlic… any soft herb you prefer. The lemon can be omitted, and the peas can be substituted with any veg you like- the softer the better as they can cook in the risotto, but any harder veg can be cooked beforehand and added into the risotto at the end. Great seasonal alts could be charred asparagus, peppers, other types of beans, spinach etc… This risotto is very clearly not vegan as parmesan is used but the cashew cheese recipe I used in the vegan mushroom risotto can definitely be a substitution.

prep/cooking time: 35-40 minutes

serves: 4-5

Ingredients

2 onions, sliced thin

2 cloves of garlic, minced

4 stalks of thyme

1 1/3 cup (250g) pearl barley

1/2 cup (110ml) white wine

4 cups (1L) Veggie/chicken stock

2/3 cup frozen peas

1/2 (40g) cup parmesan, grated

1/4 cup dill (or any soft herb), to garnish

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

pepper, oil, salt

Method

1, In a pot on medium high heat, add oil and onions, cook them until they become golden. Add garlic and thyme, and stir until it starts to soften. Add the pearl barley into the pot and stir to coat the grains in the onion-y mix. Pour in the wine and let it reduce fully.

2. Ladle in stock little at a time, stirring constantly. When the barley absorbs the stock, add in another ladle and carry on stirring. Continue doing this process over and over again. Half way through the stock, add in the frozen peas and continue adding stock and stirring until the barley is cooked and most of the stock has been absorbed.

3. Take it off the heat and finish the dish by stirring in the parmesan, half of the dill, lemon zest and season with lots of pepper (I found that I didn’t need salt as my stock was seasoned). If the mix seems too stiff, add in a little bit of water or stock until it becomes creamy again. Garnish the dish with the rest of the dill and a touch of olive oil.