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Barley Butternut Risotto

There are few things more comforting than a bowl of creamy risotto. Switching up the whole grain from rice to barley gives it a deliciously nutty taste (not to mention the added fiber—13 grams per portion)—and you can mix up the other plants depending on what’s in season or what you have in the fridge.

Prep 10 minutes | Cook 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from How to Eat More Plants: Transform Your Health With 30 Plant-Based Foods per Week—and Why It’s Easier Than You Think © Dr. Megan Rossi, 2021. Reprinted by permission of The Experiment. Available everywhere books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ butternut squash or sweet potato, diced

1 leek, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

3 garlic cloves, grated or crushed

8 sage leaves or ½ teaspoon dried sage

1 1/4 cups (250 g) pearl barley

3 3/4 cups (900 ml) vegetable stock

1 ounce (30 g) Parmesan, grated

5 cups (150 g) mixed greens or spinach, chopped

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

To Serve (optional)

Extra virgin olive oil, for frying

4 sage leaves

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

0.75 ounce (20 g) Parmesan, shaved

Lemon zest, to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the squash, leek, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and sage, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then add adding the barley followed by the vegetable stock. Bring up to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the barley is al dente, 30 minutes. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
Stir in the grated Parmesan, followed by the greens. Cook until the greens are just wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste.
Serve with some crispy sage leaves and pumpkin seeds (if desired). Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, then drop in the sage leaves and pumpkin seeds and fry until crisp, 1 minute. You can also serve with Parmesan shavings and lemon zest.

Storage: This risotto can be kept in the fridge for 3 days or frozen (minus the greens) for up to 1 month.

Switch: To make this 100 percent plant-based, simply switch the Parmesan out for 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or more to taste.