Love risotto? Why not try this healthy, low-fat recipe for Mushroom & Barley Risotto. You’ll never look back!
Swap traditional risotto rice for fiber-rich pearl barley. This recipe is not only healthier, but it’s wonderfully delicious too!
I’m always looking out for new ideas for making my favorite dishes a little bit healthier.
This gave me the inspiration to create this mushroom barley risotto recipe. If you love risotto as much as I do and are looking for healthier ways of cooking, this is perfect for you!
Why This Recipe Works
- Replacing the risotto rice with barley is a healthy option when you’re looking for high fiber in your diet.
- This recipe doesn’t compromise on taste and is made with easily sourced ingredients.
- Using low-fat cooking spray keeps this recipe super low in fat.
Is Barley Better Than Rice?
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, Pearl Barley has more fiber than rice – with 6 grams of fiber in a cup, while both brown rice and wild rice have about 3 grams of fiber.
I made this risotto almost exactly like I would make regular risotto and the outcome was really wonderful. It has a deep, rich mushroom flavor, and the texture of the barely was a nice change.
How To Make Mushroom Barley Risotto
- Saute the onion, add garlic and cook a minute more.
- Add the mushroom and cook until any liquid has evaporated.
- Pour in the wine and stock, add the barley and simmer.
- Season to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- Add some leftover cooked chicken to the risotto to make it even heartier!
- Why not add some chopped bacon for a more meaty risotto?
- Try using a variety of mushrooms, include some dried porcini or an exotic shiitaki or enoki, it’s fun to experiment.
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Let’s Make Mushroom & Barley Risotto
Ingredients
- low fat cooking spray
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1½ cups pearl barley
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 lb mixed mushrooms of your choice chopped, sliced or broken up
- 4½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese optional
- a good handful of fresh parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Coat a large heavy saucepan with cooking spray and heat on medium high. Add the onion and sauté with some seasoning for 5 mins or until the onion is translucent (if the pan starts to look too dry, you can add a bit more cooking spray).
- Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the mushrooms and saute until the liquid is released and evaporates.
- Raise the heat to high, add the barley, coat with the mushroom mixture and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the wine and stir until it is absorbed and the alcohol has cooked down. Stir 4 cups of the stock and parsley. Cover, lower the heat to low and cook for 40 mins on a slow simmer until the barley is tender (stirring occasionally and adding remaining stock if it looks dry). Remove from the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese (if using).
- Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Tips + Notes
- Add some leftover cooked chicken to the risotto to make it even heartier!
- Why not add some chopped bacon for a more meaty risotto?
- Try using a variety of mushrooms, include some dried porcini or an exotic shiitaki or enoki, it’s fun to experiment.
Laurie B Ellis says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it many times. I usually use the regular barley but this time could only find the quick barley. I assume that I cook it for 20 min instead of 40 as your recipe says?
Erren's Kitchen says
You’re absolutely right! For quick barley, you’ll want to reduce the cooking time since it cooks faster than regular pearl barley. 20 minutes should be about right, but keep an eye on it as it cooks, as some brands may vary slightly in timing. Just make sure the barley is tender before serving, and add stock as needed if it starts to look dry. Thanks for trying out the recipe, and I’m so glad you love it!
B Dodson says
This was very good. I was impressed. Will make it again many times I’m sure. I add mushrooms to many dishes since I’ve learned (a bit late in life) that mushrooms are not just something tossed on pizzas. They have multiple nutritional benefits, besides just tasting good.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for your positive feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. It’s fantastic that you’ve discovered the versatility of mushrooms beyond just pizza toppings. Mushrooms indeed offer numerous nutritional benefits, such as being a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, in addition to their savory flavor. We hope you continue to explore new ways to incorporate mushrooms into your dishes! 🙂
Andrea says
This is delicious. It’s hard to find tasty AND healthy recipes, but this is definitely one of them. Filled me up, too, so I’m not tempted to eat anything after dinner! Thank you, Erren!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying our Mushroom Barley Risotto recipe, Andrea. We’re so glad you enjoyed it! We hope you’ll find other recipes in our collection that you’ll love just as much.
Zoe says
Such a fab idea, loved the barley!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Zoe, I think it makes the dish really hearty and filling. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Connie says
I made this dish with vegetable broth so my vegan son would eat it too. I had forgotten how much I dislike veggie broth. Next time I will make a half recipe for my husband and I and I will stick to chicken broth because it was tasty. I think a little acid (lemon juice, peel or sherry vinegar) just before serving would be good.
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds like a great idea, I hope you enjoyed it anyway Connie 🙂
Parul says
I just made this and it turned out really tasty. I did add some lemon zest to it and the flavour was awesome
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your feedback, Parul!
Sarah says
When did you add the lemon zest, while cooking? Or when serving?