Recipe: Mushroom, Asparagus & Barley Risotto
Ingredients:
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 large shallot, chopped
1 cup Button Mushrooms, diced
1 cup Shiitake Mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup Asparagus, chopped
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1 Bay Leaf
1 T butter
1 cup white wine
5 cups Vegetable broth (preferably homemade)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cups barley
Instructions:
I used some homemade vegetable stock, still slightly frozen I warmed in a sauce pan while I chopped the ingredients.
In medium-sized heavy pot, heat 1 T olive oil; add onion and cook till transparent.
Add celery and shallot, cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms, asparagus, and thyme and cook about 10 minutes more, or until mushrooms have released liquid and it has evaporated.
Add barley, butter and 1 cup wine.
Add bay leaf and butter, increase heat to medium high, stirring every few minutes, waiting for liquid to be absorbed into barley. As most of the liquid is absorbed, add stock one cup at a time and stir. Repeat until all the liquid is absorbed and barley is softened.
Taste some of the barley to be sure it’s done. Serve hot, with fresh parsley or cilantro sprinkled on if desired.
