Mushroom Barley Risotto is a hearty and filling recipe that everyone loves! Barley has a pleasant chewy texture and a nutty flavor and makes a hearty side dish that's delicious when served with meat. However, this recipe is substantial enough to stand on its own as a vegetarian main dish recipe.
This barley recipe is adapted from the California Heritage Cooking Cookbook.
This cookbook is no longer in print, but you might be able to find it in the used book market.
What is Pearl Barley?
There are two common types of barley used for cooking; hulled barley and pearled barley.
Hulled barley has only its outer hull removed, leaving it chewy and full of fiber. Hulled barley is higher in fiber than pearl barley.
Pearl barley is also chewy and rich in fiber, but because it has both the outer hull and bran layers removed, it takes less time to cook. Pearl barley is the best choice for a quick barley recipe.
You can use either hulled barley or pearl barley for this mushroom barley pilaf recipe. Just keep in mind that if you are using hulled barley, you will need to cook the pilaf a little bit longer.
What Ingredients Do You Need For a Mushroom Barley Risotto?
This mushroom barley pilaf is a vegetarian recipe, but you can make it vegan with a few substitutions.
- Butter - You can use regular butter or a vegan butter substitute for this recipe.
- Onions - I like to use sweet yellow onion.
- Mushrooms - I use baby Bella mushrooms, but you can use any mushroom variety that you like.
- Pearl barley
- Broth - Use chicken or vegetable broth.
- Kosher Salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Fresh Parsley
How to cook barley risotto.
This mushroom barley recipe is cooked as a casserole in the oven.
It is best to use a 2-quart casserole dish with a lid to bake this barley recipe. The lid allows all the barley to steam during the cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Start by sautéing the onion in butter in a skillet over medium heat until they are nice and soft.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked for about 5 minutes.
- Add the barley to the skillet and sauté until the barley is slightly browned.
- Transfer everything to a buttered 2-quart casserole dish and then add the broth, salt, cayenne, and parsley.
- Cover and bake for 5o minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Other Comfort Food Recipes that you might like:
Spam Fried Rice
Puerto Rican Rice with Meat
Homemade Noodles
Curry Risotto Recipe
One-Pot Curry Noodles
Mushroom Barley Risotto Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- ¾ pound fresh mushrooms trimmed and sliced
- 1 ½ cups pearl barley
- 2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Melt the butter in a 8-10" skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in the onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the mushrooms. Saute another 5 minutes - until the onions are golden and the mushrooms tender.
- Add the barley and cook, stirring occasionally until the barley is light brown (5-10 minutes).
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. Add the broth, salt, cayenne and parsley.
- Cover and bake for 50 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
