This one-dish vegetarian meal is the perfect fall comfort food. It’s easy to prepare, delicious, nutritious, and kids will love it.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 5 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1 medium onion, cut into small dice (1 cup)
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced (1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 cup pearled barley (I soak my barley ahead of time)
- 1 small (1 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups fall greens, such as baby spinach, arugula or baby kale
Directions:
- Heat the broth in a medium saucepan over low heat; keep it warm.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and cook until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the barley to the onion mixture and stir for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add about 2 cups of the warm broth to the barley mixture, and stir slowly until the barley begins to swell and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
- Add the squash. Add 2 more cups of the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring slowly and letting the barley absorb the broth before adding more. This will take about a half-hour. The risotto is cooked when the barley is creamy on the outside and slightly firm (al dente) in the center.
- Discard the thyme sprig. Add the greens and stir until they have wilted, then stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the risotto is too thick or dry, add some of the remaining broth to achieve the desired consistency.
- Divide the risotto among individual serving dishes, and garnish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a small sprig of thyme.
Adapted from Bonnie Moore in the Washington Post