I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for a while, and I finally got around to both making and photographing it.  So here it is – my favorite kind of risotto.  Sure, risotto is normally made with Arborio rice, but you might be surprised to learn that pearl barley also makes a great risotto.

Barley is incredibly healthy – besides being a whole grain, pearl barley has 8 grams of fiber per serving.  You can make cold salads out of it, but making it risotto-style is my favorite.  Why?  You can change up the recipe in an endless number of ways.  You can make it vegetarian by subbing vegetable stock for chicken stock; you can use red or white wine, or omit the wine all together; you can add any variety and combination of vegetables; you can add legumes, meat, or seafood (some Cannellini beans and/or pan-seared shrimp would be lovely here) to beef up the dish.  Long story short: if you have barley and some stock, you can dump whatever is in your fridge and pantry into your risotto and have a fantastic meal.

One year ago: Brisket + Easy Roasted Potato Wedges

Barley and Vegetable Risotto

Total time: 1 hours

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients

6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
1/4 teaspoon thyme (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup red or white wine (optional)
1 cup pearled barley
1 cup beans, canned or precooked
2 cups spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half (or whole if you prefer)
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer over moderately high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

2.  In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallot and thyme, if using, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is softened, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.  Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add the wine, if using, and cook with the barley, stirring until absorbed, about one minute.

3.  Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed.  Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring each time, until nearly absorbed.  Risotto isn’t  hard to make, but it’s a little labor intensive – you need to stir it quite a bit while you go through the process of adding stock, because the stiring and working of the grain coaxes the starch out and gives the dish its creaminess.  Most barley risottos are done when the barley is al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy sauce, and this takes me around 45 minutes.  You may not end up using all the stock, but I did – I like my barley risotto to have a little more of a sauce than risotto made with Arborio rice.  When you’re getting close to using up all the stock, add the asparagus to the simmering stock and let cook for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the stock and the asparagus to the risotto.  Add the tomatoes, and let simmer for a few minutes, then add spinach and let it wilt and then cook for an additional minute.  Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.