Lemon Pearl Barley Risotto with Chard, Parsley and Almonds

Name: Rukmini Iyer's Lemon Pearl Barley Risotto Recipe | Easy Risotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 200g pearl barley; 500ml boiling vegetable stock; 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled; 250g rainbow chard, cut into 1cm slices; 1 lemon, zest and juice, plus the squeezed lemon halves; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 30g almond butter; 20g finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 30g whole blanched almonds; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; unsweetened non-dairy yogurt or ricotta (if you aren’t vegan)

by Rukmini Iyer from The Roasting Tin Around The World

Packed full of barley and chard, and topped with toasted almonds for texture, this hearty vegan dish is warm, filling and perfect for an easy midweek dinner.

Vegetarian Vegan Dairy-Free One-pot

Serves 4

Total 55 min

Prep 10 min

Cook 45 min

Easy

Introduction from Rukmini Iyer

With ordinary risottos, I always think the magic happens when you add the Parmesan at the end; in this vegan version, almond butter does the same job, for a dish which is so warming and rich you’d be hard pressed to know it was completely plant-based. A lovely midweek or weekend dinner.

Ingredients

200g pearl barley

500ml boiling vegetable stock

1 clove of garlic, unpeeled

250g rainbow chard, cut into 1cm slices

1 lemon, zest and juice, plus the squeezed lemon halves

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

30g almond butter

20g finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

30g whole blanched almonds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

unsweetened non-dairy yogurt or ricotta (if you aren’t vegan)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.

Tip the pearl barley, stock, garlic, onion and chard into a roasting tin or lidded casserole dish along with the squeezed lemon halves. Cover tightly with foil or the lid, then transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the lemon zest, juice, olive oil, almond butter and parsley together and set aside.

When the risotto has just 10 minutes left to cook, pop the almonds on a baking tray, scatter over a pinch of sea salt and slide them in alongside to toast.

Stir the parsley, lemon and almond butter mixture through the risotto, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. You may wish to add a tiny bit more boiling water to loosen it – if so, do taste and season again afterwards.

Serve the risotto with a spoon of non-dairy yogurt or ricotta and scatter the toasted almonds on top.

Preview