Toasted Barley Risotto with Spinach Herb Puree
This is a spruced up risotto with toasted barley and a delicious spinach and herb puree stirred through… to make that extra special effort for a loved one or a loved occasion… Using our organic UK grown naked barley will certainly add a yummy nutty flavour and texture to this risotto
INGREDIENTS
1 cup organic naked barley
8 cups marigold organic vegetable bouillon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Sea salt flakes, freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 2 cups)
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, thick stems removed (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast barley on a rimmed baking sheet until lightly golden brown and fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Set aside.
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Bring bouillon to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat to low and keep bouillon warm.
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add barley, thyme, bay leaf, and 2 cups warm bouillon to skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until bouillon is almost absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add remaining bouillon by 1/2-cupfuls, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more and stirring often, until barley is tender and mixture is creamy, 40–50 minutes (you may not use all the stock).
Remove bay leaf.
Meanwhile, cook spinach and parsley in a large pot of boiling salted water until leaves are bright green and just wilted, about 5 seconds. Drain; transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Drain and squeeze well to remove excess water.
Coarsely chop spinach and parsley, then purée with oil and a splash of water in a blender, adding more water as needed, until smooth. Set spinach purée aside.
Mix garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice into barley mixture, then mix in nutritional yeast to combine. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Remove barley risotto from heat and mix in spinach purée and herbs; season with salt and pepper.
