Pearl Barley and Mushroom Risotto with goats’ cheese

Name: Pearl Barley and Mushroom Risotto with goats’ cheese
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive or rapeseed/canola oil; 4 tbsp olive or rapeseed/canola oil; 15 g/½ oz dried porcini mushrooms; 2 leeks, finely sliced; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra to serve; 300 g/10½ oz/1½ cups pearl barley; 4 tbsp olive or rapeseed/canola oil; 400 g/14 oz mixed wild and chestnut/cremini mushrooms, sliced; 400 g/14 oz mixed wild and chestnut/cremini mushrooms, sliced; 400 g/14 oz mixed wild and chestnut/cremini mushrooms, sliced; 125 g/4½ oz firm goats’ cheese log, rind removed and diced into pieces; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 250 ml/9 fl oz/1 cup white wine or vermouth; 250 ml/9 fl oz/1 cup white wine or vermouth; 750 ml/26 fl oz/3 cups hot vegetable stock; 125 g/4½ oz soft spreadable goats’ cheese

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 25

Appears in

In the Mood for Healthy Food

By Jo Pratt

Published 2015

About

Using pearl barley as a substitute for risotto rice gives a slightly different texture to a risotto and really increases its nutritional value, mainly in the form of fibre. It does take slightly longer to cook than rice but the bonus is that you don’t have to keep stirring as it cooks.

Ingredients

15 g/½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
4 tbsp olive or

Vegetarian

Method

Using a pair of scissors, snip the dried porcini into small pieces and put in a jug. Pour over 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup boiling water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes.

Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add about two-thirds of the fresh mushrooms, the leeks, garlic and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes until the leeks and mushrooms are softened.

Add the pearl barley an