Meatless Barley Stew

Barley stew, also known as ričet, is a popular Slovenian spoon dish that is most commonly found on our plates during the autumn and winter seasons, as it uses root vegetables that are in season at that time. It is usually prepared with the addition of smoked meat, but it is also excellent without it. Vegetable barley stew is especially delicious after some hearty celebrations and also after the Christmas and New Year holidays, when the body needs a little break from all the sweets and meaty treats.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 60 minutes
  • Difficulty: 1
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 250 g Barley, husked

  • 2 piece Spices, bay (leaves)

  • pieces Spices, pepper, black

  • 2 piece Carrot, fresh

  • 1 piece Kohlrabi, raw

  • 1 piece Parsley, fresh

  • pieces Green, tuber

  • pieces Leek

  • 2 pod Garlic, fresh

  • 150 g Beans, baked, can

  • pieces Salt, table

Steps

  1. Drain the soaked barley and rinse it under running water. Place it in a larger pot and add cold water. There should be enough liquid to cover the barley by two fingers. Add bay leaves and a few peppercorns and bring to a boil. Let the barley cook for 10 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, clean and wash the vegetables. Cut the carrots, kohlrabi, parsley root, and celery into cubes or smaller pieces. After 10 minutes of cooking, add the chopped vegetables along with a sprig of parsley to the pot where the barley is cooking. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

  3. Cut the leek into rings or strips. Add it to the pot along with the chopped garlic and let everything cook for another 20 minutes. Add more water if needed, and if desired, add other seasonings (thyme, ground pepper, lovage, etc.). In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained and optionally rinsed beans.

  4. Once the stew is ready, serve it on plates. You can sprinkle some chopped parsley on top. Serve with bread.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 201.83 kcal
  • Fat: 0.92 g
    • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 40.29 g
    • Sugars: 0.73 g
  • Protein: 6.96 g
  • Fiber: 9.34 g

Advice

For the preparation of barley stew, you can also use dry beans, which, like barley, need to be soaked overnight in a sufficient amount of cold water. The next day, drain the soaked beans and rinse them under running water, then place them in a pot and cover with enough cold water. Add a bay leaf and cook the beans until they soften. Salt them only at the very end of cooking. For seasoning the meatless barley stew, you can also use seasoned or smoked salt.