Pearl barley risotto – Vegan

Makes 4 servings

Pearl barley risotto, incredibly creamy and simple to make.
Barley is rich in vitamins and minerals, so I made it easy to include in my diet. Pair this with some steamed broccoli and you have a delicious nutritious meal.
The subtle flavours of lemon, pea, mint and basil make this risotto truly special.

I don’t usually cook with pearl barley, but turns out I rather like it.
Sharing is caring, so don’t miss out on this lovely dish.

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• 200g pearl barley
• 1.2l vegetable stock
• 140g garden peas
• 1 mint sprig
• 2 tablespoons Oatly crème fraiche
• 1 small bunch of basil – finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• A head of broccoli (steamed or boiled) for serving

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic and lemon zest for 5-10 minutes (until soft).
2. Rinse the pearl barley in cold water to remove some of the starch.
3. Add the pearl barley to the frying pan and half of the vegetable stock, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking.
4. Use half of the garden peas to make a quick pea and mint puree by whizzing peas with 3-4 mint leaves in a blender. Add a splash of water as needed.
5. Once the pearl barley stock is absorbed, stir in the leftover vegetable stock, the leftover the garden peas, pea puree and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the Oatly crème fraiche and basil. Add salt to taste (my vegetable stock is already salty, so I don’t usually have to add more salt).
7. Enjoy with steamed broccoli.