Barley Risotto with Roasted Carrots

This is a twist on risotto. Instead of rice, it has barley and instead of mushrooms it has roasted carrots. The yum factor is the same. If you crave some comfort food, try this. It’s ready in an hour and only takes 15 minutes of prep time. And it serves about 4 people.

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil,

salt and black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

5 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon light miso

2 medium shallots, diced

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 cup pearl barley

½ cup white wine

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.     Place the cut carrots on the baking sheet. Toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground coriander. Spread them out in a single layer.

3.     Roast the carrots until tender and slightly caramelized on the edges, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

4.     Pour the vegetable stock into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Add the miso to the stock. Once it starts to simmer, lower the heat so that it’s just barely simmering.

5.     Heat a pot over medium heat. Pour the remaining olive oil into the pot. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes.

6.     Add the smoked paprika and thyme. Stir and cook until spices are very fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the barley to the pot and stir to coat in the shallots, oil, and spices. Let it toast for a minute or so.

7.     Pour the white wine into the pot and stir. It should come up to a boil immediately. Let it continue to simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

8.     Remove the lid from the pot of stock. Add two full ladles of vegetable stock to the pot with the barley and stir. The liquid should be simmering and bubbling. Keep stirring until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring often. Each time, you'll be cooking until the mixture seems a little dry, then adding more stock.

9.     The barley risotto should cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until the grains of barley are al dente and the texture is creamy.

10. Once the barley risotto is done, adjust the seasoning.

11.  Stir in the roasted carrots or simply serve them on top.

Enjoy immediately!