Breathe new life into your love of risotto and butternut squash with this comfort food masterpiece. Great for having on your own or when feeding a crowd, this barley risotto with roasted butternut really hits the spot. The satisfyingly chewy texture and creamy flavours will have everyone asking for seconds.
Serves 2
Difficulty: EASY
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
ROASTED BUTTERNUT
- ¼ (300g) medium butternut
- 15ml (1 tbsp) Mokhado Avocado Oil
- pinch garlic salt
- pinch ground black pepper
BARLEY RISOTTO
- 30ml (2 tbsp) Mokhado Avocado Oil
- 2 (100g) shallots, chopped
- 1 fat clove garlic, finely chopped
- 250ml (1 cup / 180g) pearl barley
- 1L (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 60ml (¼ cup) almond milk
- 45ml (1 tbsp) nutritional yeast
BASIL OIL
- 60ml (¼ cup) basil leaves
- 30ml (2 tbsp) Mokhado Avocado Oil
- 5ml (1 tsp) Mokhado Roasted Macadamia Nut butter
- 5ml (1 tsp) nutritional yeast
- 5ml (1 tsp) water
TO SERVE
- 45ml (3 tbsp) pine nuts, toasted
- handful small basil leaves
METHOD
ROASTED PUMPKIN
Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Slice the butternut into 8-10 slices that are about 0.5cm thick. Toss the pumpkin, Avocado oil, salt and pepper together. Arrange the pumpkin on the tray and roast until tender, 20-25 minutes.
BARLEY RISOTTO
Heat the Avocado oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and barley and fry, 1 minute. Add a cup of stock and simmer until all has been absorbed before adding the next cup of stock. Repeat until all of the stock has been added and the barley has cooked for at least 30 minutes. Stir in the almond milk and nutritional yeast and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season it to taste.
BASIL OIL
Combine all the ingredients and use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Season it to taste.
TO SERVE
Spoon the barley into serving dishes and top with the roasted butternut. Add a drizzle of the basil oil and scatter the pine nuts and basil leaves on top.
TIP: If you like a cheesy risotto, scatter some vegan feta or grated vegan cheese over the cooked dish just before serving.