I’ll be honest. I loves me some risotto. But I can’t eat it all that often. All that starch and carb in the white, arborio rice.
So, I was thrilled to come across this recipe for risotto-style barley (less calories and less carbs) that also included asparagus… one of my favorite vegetables. A superfood really.
The total time is a bit long (one hour), but most of that is cooking time and the end result is soooo worth it!
Try this with fennel, mustard & lemon-crusted salmon.
And do let me know how it turns out for you in the comments below.
From Clean Eating Magazine
Serves: 2, prep time: 15 minutes, total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- ½ cup pearled barley
- 1 ½ cups plus ½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, divided
- 1 ½ tsp olive oil
- ¼ lb asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- To a small saucepan, add barley and 1 ½ cups stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside in saucepan.
- In a medium saucepan on medium-high, heat oil. Add asparagus and zest and sauté for 2 minutes until tender-crisp. Add barley and remaining ½ cup stock and cook on medium, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Note: if you have leftovers, refrigerate in a covered container and use in soups or salads within 2 days.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1/2 cup): Calories 147, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Unsaturated Fat 2.5g, Carbs 27g, Fiber 5g, Sugars 2g, Protein 3g, Sodium 192mg, Cholesterol 0mg.
My Flat & Happy Recipe Guide is filled with meals that taste good and are good for you.
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