Get all of the flavour with none of the fuss with this easy recipe for Barley Risotto with Mushrooms, Sesame and Broccolini. It’s comfort in a bowl and perfect for a cold winter’s day.

We give it 5 golden stars for its creamy savoury Marmite sauce and the chewy texture of the barley.

Pearl barley is packed with soluble fibre and antioxidants called lignans, which is linked to a lower risk* of cancer and heart disease.

*SOURCE: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17943494/

Ingredients

1 Cup Pride Pearl Barley
3 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp Cooking oil
250g Portobello Mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1-2 Cloves Garlic, depending on pungency and personal taste, chopped
2 Sprigs thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded
200g Broccolini, chopped to more or less the same size as the mushrooms
2 Tbsp Sesame oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Water, for cooking

For the sauce:

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1¼ Cups Milk, heated
0.5 Tsp Yeast extract (like Marmite)

To serve:

Grated hard cheese, like Parmesan or Grana Pedano
Freshly chopped parsley
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Cook the Pride Pearl Barley with a pinch of salt in a saucepan until tender yet chewy, about 25–30 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a medium-hot pan. Do not use oil. Toss regularly to toast evenly. Once golden, remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté mushrooms until starting to turn golden. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Add the garlic and fry until it’s fragrant and soft, and the mushrooms golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, over medium heat, or a pan with a lid, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and the broccolini. Once sizzling, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and place lid on top, to steam broccolini. Once the water has evaporated, remove lid, turn up the heat and toss broccolini until charred. Drizzle with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat the broccolini. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. In the same pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown. Add the hot milk. Do not worry if the sauce looks “dirty” because of all the tasty bits that were left behind in the pan. Continue to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Mix together couple of spoons of this sauce with the yeast spread in a separate bowl, and once incorporated, add back into the pan. Stir until fully incorporated. Remove from the heat.
6. Add the barley, mushrooms and broccolini to the sauce and stir until everything is coated. Serve with grated hard cheese, fresh parsley and slices of lemon on the side.

Tried this easy recipe? Show us the final results of your Barley Risotto with Mushrooms, Sesame and Broccolini on Pride Beans, Pulses & Grains’ Facebook Page.