Risotto is one of those dishes that requires a bit of patience in the kitchen. It’s a high maintenance dish that requires a lot of attention and stirring, but it’s not hard to make. In fact, I think it’s kind of nice to cozy up to the stove on a chilly evening to make this satisfying dish. Why use pearl barley instead of arborio rice for this Pearl Barley Asparagus Risotto? Read on for more info.
Why Use Pearl Barley instead of Arborio Rice?
For starters, pearl barley is a more nutrient rich grain than arborio rice. You get 6 grams of fiber in pearl barley and only 1 gram of fiber in arborio rice. Surprisingly, they tie with 4 grams of protein. If you really want a big fiber and protein punch, use hulled barley instead. It packs a whopping 32 grams of fiber and 23 grams of protein! It will require some pre-soaking or a much longer cooking time (and more liquid), so keep that in mind for planning purposes.
Another thing that’s great about using pearl barley is that it doesn’t break down during the cooking process like arborio rice does. Due to the cooking time and adding so much liquid to the dish, it’s pretty easy to end up with a mushy or pasty risotto and that’s never a good thing.
What Other Grains Could be Used for Risotto?
Risotto is a pretty flexible dish and you can use whichever grain you like or have on hand. There are plenty of options, but some of the more popular are:
- arborio rice
- brown rice
- pearl barley
- hulled barley
- buckwheat
- farro
- steal cut oats
Is Wine Necessary in Risotto?
You’ll find many risotto recipes online and in cookbooks that go both ways. Some use wine and some do not. While it’s not crucial in risotto, it does provide some acidity, flavor, and additional liquid to your dish. If you choose not to use wine, you should definitely increase the amount of broth or water in the recipe, depending on your flavor preference. If you’d like a little more acidity, increase the amount of lemon juice, although I’d caution against using the same amount of lemon juice as you would wine…that might make it too tart.
Pearl Barley Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 cups pearl barley
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 lb asparagus trimmed, stalks cut into 1-inch lengths
- 2 cups mushrooms coursely chopped
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest plus more for garnish
- 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a medium sauce pan, combine vegetable stock and water and bring to a simmer.
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In a separate wide bottomed sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat
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Cook onion until soft, stirring frequently, approximately 6 to 7 minutes.
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Add barley and stir frequently, to brown slightly, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add wine cook and stir frequently, until evaporated.
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Add 1/2 cup hot stock and stir frequently, until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup stock at a time until liquid is creamy and barley is al dente, about 30 minutes total (you may not need to add all the stock).
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Add asparagus as you get near the bottom of the stock, about 5 minutes before risotto is done. And add the mushrooms a few minutes later. Cover pan, if desired to cook vegetables.
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Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve immediately with additional cheese and lemon zest, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Asparagus and Lemon Risotto
Have you tried this Pearl Barley Asparagus Risotto? Snap a pic of your creation and share on social with #vegetariant.
Enjoy!
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