Barley Risotto with Roasted Pumpkin

A perfect lunch where you wont miss the meat. The only thing you really need to accompany it is a large bowl of seasonal salad.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 40 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 450 g Pumpkin, raw

  • 3 spoons Oil, olive

  • 0.5 teaspoons Salt, table

  • 0.25 teaspoons Spices, pepper, black

  • 1 pinch Spices, nutmeg, ground

  • 170 g Barley, husked

  • 1.5 l Soup base, chicken, cube

  • 1 piece Onion, raw

  • 2 pod Garlic, fresh

  • 125 ml Alcohol, Wine, White

  • 40 g Cheese, Parmesan, grated

  • 5 twig Thyme, fresh

  • 2 twigs Spices, ginger, ground

  • 0.25 bouquet Parsley, fresh

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the pumpkin, cut it in half, and remove the stem and seeds. Then peel it and cut it into smaller pieces, which you place in a deep baking dish. Drizzle the pumpkin pieces with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix with your hands to ensure the pumpkin pieces are evenly seasoned on all sides. Place the dish in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Rinse the pearl barley and place it in a pan. Put the pan on the stove and dry roast the barley over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally while roasting.

  2. In a large pot, heat the broth over medium heat until it almost boils. Then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and leave it on the stove to keep the liquid warm. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash, shake dry, and finely chop the parsley, thyme, and sage.

  3. In a large pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion softens and becomes translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally while sautéing. Add the pearl barley and sauté, stirring for another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated.

  4. Add 1 cup of the broth. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat the process of adding the broth until all the broth is used up, which takes about 30 to 35 minutes.

  5. Stir the roasted pumpkin pieces, Parmesan, thyme, and sage into the risotto. Serve on plates, sprinkle with parsley, and accompany with a large bowl of seasonal salad.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 151.02 kcal
  • Fat: 5.25 g
    • Saturated Fat: 1.07 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20.18 g
    • Sugars: 0.96 g
  • Protein: 5.13 g
  • Fiber: 3.46 g

Advice

Instead of pearl barley, you can use hulled barley, but it needs to be soaked for at least a few hours (preferably overnight) before cooking, and the cooking time should be extended to 2 hours. For this recipe, you would need to partially cook the barley separately in advance.