White Bean and Barley Risotto

Little one appears to share my love for barley! I made a batch of Andouille Barley Soup and he happily gobbled it up and asked for it for days. While the soup is snap to make I didn’t want to have it at every meal. I need a little more variety in the barley department so I pulled out my recipe binder and found this yummy side dish. I forgot how much I really like this dish and I’m looking forward to making it much more often.

This little side dish brings a good amount of fiber to your dinner plate. You can change up the flavors by changing the type of stock you use and adding some of your favorite seasonings. Chicken broth or veggie broth will change the depth of flavor. Thyme, sage or rosemary would add a delicious boost of flavor. A little garlic would also be delicious. If you view the below recipe as a starting place you could come up with some truly lovely combinations from your cabinets.

A huge plus to this recipe is that it’s healthy and low cost. I would serve this with meat as my main dish so a low cost side dish is a big plus. And since I keep a large jar of barley in my pantry this is a pantry side dish. Oh how I love pantry meals! While it does take a while to simmer on the stove top it is just as easy to make as anything that would come out of a box.

Enjoy!

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 ½ cups beef broth

½ cup pearl barley

15 oz. white beans

Coarse black pepper

¼ cup parsley, chopped

In a small pot sauté the onions in the olive oil until tender. Stir in broth and barley then bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30-49 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer for five minutes. Season with pepper, stir in parsley and serve.

Adapted from http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/five-ingredient-recipes/white-bean-and-barley-risotto