Mushroom Barley Risotto

I mentioned last month that I had recently gotten into barley in a big way.  If you've never tried barley and you're feeling a little on-the-fence about the idea, make this recipe.  It is incredibly creamy with the perfect amount of softness and bite.  The flavor is just subtle yet strong enough that this is great on its own but can also work well as a base for a nice saucy dish.  You can even make it heartier by adding chicken and serve it as a main dish.  It is just an all-around great dish.

Mushroom Barley Risotto

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place chicken broth and water in a large microwave proof container and heat on high for 5-6 minutes (or heat to boiling in a saucepan on the stove and then remove from heat).

While the broth & water heat, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook and stir until the onion begins to brown slightly on the edges.  Season with salt and pepper, then add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender.

Add the milk and evaporated milk to the saucepan with the mushrooms and heat for two minutes.  Stir in the barley and reduce heat to medium.

Stir in one cup of the broth/water mixture and continue stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Continue adding the broth/water mixture one cup at a time, stirring until liquid is mostly absorbed after each addition.  This will take about 45-60 minutes.  After the last addition, keep stirring until liquid is absorbed and mixture is creamy.  The barley should be tender but still slightly firm (al dente).  Stir in the butter, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan and serve warm.


Source: adapted from Allrecipes
Produce Used: Onion, red onion, garlic, mushrooms