Enjoy this recipe for a creamy, high-fibre vegetarian risotto made with nutritious, nutty barley and roasted pumpkin.
Risotto is a savoury Italian rice dish normally prepared with butter, onion, white wine, broth and Parmesan cheese. However, in this recipe for pumpkin risotto, I use barley instead of rice.
Interestingly, using barley instead of rice is nothing new. There is a traditional Italian dish similar to risotto made with pearl barley called orzotto. So, this recipe is my variation and stems from my desire to incorporate more barley into my diet.
Why barley risotto?
Barely is a wholegrain most frequently reserved for soups and stews.
However, barley makes for a delicious risotto that not only provides nourishment but also supports the good bacteria in your gut. This is because barley is high in fibre and resistant starches.
A risotto that promotes gut health
Resistant starches are prebiotic fibres that pass through the small intestine undigested.
However, they don’t go to waste.
The good bacteria in the gut ferment the resistant starches, creating a by-product of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate that the colon cells absorb. In this way, resistant starches help enhance the health of the colon.
However, let’s not get too caught up in the health benefits of eating this risotto. We don’t only eat for nourishment but for pleasure!
How does this risotto taste?
Once cooked, barley has a slightly chewy texture. It is not as soft as rice and has a light, nutty flavour.
The pumpkin in this risotto contributes to its creamy texture and sweet taste, which contrasts with the saltiness of the stock and texture of the barley.
Ingredients for this vegetarian barley risotto
For this recipe for pearl barley risotto, you will require:
- pumpkin
- pearl barley
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- white wine or white wine vinegar
- vegetable stock
- baby spinach
- Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
Want other recipes you can make with roast pumpkin? Try my recipe for pumpkin and quinoa salad or pumpkin peanut butter cookies.
How to serve this pumpkin risotto?
Enjoy as is or serve with a shaving of Parmesan cheese alongside a green leafy salad or fresh crusty bread.
It would also be delicious served with:
- a sprinkling of crumbled feta
- diced bacon pieces
- sliced sun-dried tomato
- caramelised onion
- grilled asparagus
- chicken or tempeh strips
You could also combine into the risotto peas, baked sausage or cooked chicken pieces.
Make this a vegan pumpkin risotto
To make this risotto vegan, switch the Parmesan cheese with a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Then, serve with a sprinkling of vegan Parmesan cheese.
Making this a gluten-free wholegrain risotto
Barley is not gluten-free. Thus, it is not suitable for those with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
However, you can substitute the barley with buckwheat for a nutty and delicious wholegrain risotto.
Buckwheat cooks substantially faster than barley. Follow the same recipe, cooking the buckwheat for only 15 minutes.
Want to enjoy more meals with barley?
If you’d like to cook more with barley, check out my recipes for:
If you try this risotto recipe, I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it. Share in the comments below.
Roast Pumpkin Barley Risotto
Ingredients
Roast Pumpkin
- 600 g pumpkin, peeled and chopped into bite-sized cubes (or use leftover roast pumpkin ~ 3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch salt and pepper
Barley Risotto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cup barley (195 g)
- ½ cup white wine, or 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4 cups vegetable stock or water with 1 teaspoon garlic salt or stock powder (880 g)
- 60 g baby spinach
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, extra for serving
Instructions
Roast Pumpkin (if not using leftover roast pumpkin)
- Preheat oven to 180oC.
- Place pumpkin on a baking tray and toss with olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and roast until softened and slightly golden brown, anywhere between 20 – 40 minutes, depending on the type of pumpkin used and your oven.
Barley Risotto
- In a large saucepan over medium heat add the olive oil.
- Once the oil is heated, add the onion and cook until softened.
- Then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Then add barley and stir through while adding the white wine.
- Cook until wine is almost completely absorbed.
- Then add stock or water. Stir well.
- Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the liquid is mostly absorbed, stirring occasionally. If there is excess liquid when the barley is cooked, drain it if necessary.
- Once the barley is cooked, add the roasted pumpkin. Stir through for a few minutes.
- Then add the Parmesan cheese and baby spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted.
- Serve sprinkled with a little extra Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- a sprinkling of crumbled feta
- diced fried bacon pieces
- sliced sun-dried tomato
- caramelised onion
- grilled asparagus
- chicken or tempeh strips
4 comments
This recipe was so good! It’s got a ton of flavor and was easy to make.
Thanks for the feedback, Diane.
So healthy and delicious! We all loved it!
I’m pleased you enjoyed it, Kaylen.