Mushroom Barley Risotto
Bob Greene
This recipe uses barley instead of the traditional rice. Risotto requires near constant stirring, but the payoff is huge.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
- salt
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tbs chopped shallots
- 1 lb portabella or white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 cup pearl barley, sorted and rinsed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 Tbs olive oil
Directions
- In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Cover the pan and turn off the heat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium flame. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Reduce the heat to low. Add the barley and stir it to coat with oil. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed. Add the hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and adding 1/2 cup more of broth each time the previous addition is almost absorbed. This should take about 30 minutes. (You may have a little broth left over.) If the barley is not yet tender and all the broth is gone, add a little water and cook until it is tender.
- Put remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the mushrooms and shallots and sauté until mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture begins to stick, remove the skillet from the flame and spray the mushrooms with nonstick cooking spray. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft.)
- Stir the mushroom mixture and basil into the barley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 257
Calories from Fat 75 (29%)
(12%)Total Fat 8g
(10%)Saturated Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
(1%)Cholesterol 3mg
(7%)Sodium 167mg
(0%)Potassium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 36g
(8%)Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 0g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(16%)Protein 8g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
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The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.