Lemon-Herb Pearled Barley Risotto
Oops I did it again! You’ve seen me flout traditional risotto rules when I made Red Rice Risotto and now I’m at it… again! I’ve been experimenting with slightly healthy substitutes for Arborio rice while making risotto, mostly because r
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Ingredients
- 1 ½Tablespoons olive oil
- 1cup barleypearled (soaked for 6 to 12 hours)
- ½cup dry white wine
- 3cups vegetable stock(you might need a bit more, depending on the barley)
- 1 onionmedium , finely chopped
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- ¼tsp red chilliflakes
- ½tsp sea salt
- 2tsps lemon juice
- 1 ½tsps _herbes de Provence_ (see post for details)
- handful arugulaof A small leaves (about 20 grams)
- ¼cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the barley. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onion & cook until translucent. Add the garlic, red chilli flakes & sea salt and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Now add the barley, coating it completely with the mixture in the pan. Allow the barley to toast for a couple of minutes, then add the wine and stir. When nearly all of the wine has been absorbed by the barley, add 1 cup of the vegetable stock and let it cook over a slow simmer. The remaining stock should be added only in half- cup increments, only when the liquid appears to have been absorbed by the barley. You will need to keep stirring to avoid the grains from getting stuck to the pan.
- In the meantime, drain and rinse the cashews with water. Use the small jar of your blender to blitz it with about 4 to 5 tablespoons of filtered water until the nuts have completely broken down and the cashews & water blend together to form a creamy texture. Set aside.
- When you add the last cup of vegetable stock, immediately add the lemon juice & herbes de Provence & stir to combine. You will have to taste to check if the barley has cooked, it will plump up a bit and will be chewy in texture. Once the barley has cooked & absorbed the last addition of vegetable stock, turn off the heat and stir in the cashew cream & arugula leaves to combine. Check for seasoning & serve immediately.
- When you add the last cup of vegetable stock, immediately add the lemon juice herbes de Provence stir to combine
- You will have to taste to check if the barley has cooked, it will plump up a bit and will be chewy in texture
- Once the barley has cooked absorbed the last addition of vegetable stock, turn off the heat and stir in the cashew cream arugula leaves to combine
- Check for seasoning serve immediately
Recipe Notes
