Description
Looking for a simple and healthy vegetarian one-pot meal? Try this butternut squash baked barley risotto with kale. With minimal stovetop time, this risotto cooks in the oven and doesn’t require the usual stirring.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup barley
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup chopped Lacinato kale
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan plus shaved Parmesan for serving
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large ovenproof saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the squash for 6-8 minutes until it starts to brown at the edges and is tender.
- Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent about, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the barley and cook for 1 minute until opaque. Pour in the wine, letting it bubble and be absorbed by the barley.
- Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the barley is tender.
- Stir in the kale and Parmesan, letting the kale wilt and the cheese melt.
- Sprinkle with parsley and shaved Parmesan before serving.
Perfect! Thank you Page! Looking forward to making this!
Thoughts on subbing sweet potatoes for squash?
Yes, you definitely can substitute and use sweet potatoes instead of squash. Peel and dice 3 medium sweet potatoes.
This was great! Even my husband who doesn’t like butternut squash packed the leftovers for lunch! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
What size saucepans do you use?
A 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven–make sure it is oven-proof.
This is so easy and delicious! I had a butternut squash to use up and wanted to find a recipe I could use for some meal prep. This fits the bill and is definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
I made it tonight. It was delicious. I added a can of rinsed drained cannelini beans before I put it in the oven. I also replaced the kale with spinach, because I had some spinach that needed to get used up.
★★★★★
Exquisitely healthy recipe.
★★★★★
Can I use quick cook farro in place of the barley? If so would the recipe stay the same just take less time to cook?
The barley that I use for this recipe typically cooks on the stovetop in 10-12 minutes. The grains take longer to get tender in the oven than they do on the stove. I think you should be able to just substitute the farro for the barley. If you are concerned it will overcook, I would check the grains after they’ve been in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Wow!! Just wow. This is amazing. Tastes like risotto but better and healthier. I used the quick cook farro from Trader Joe’s since they don’t carry barley anymore but it was perfect! Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe. I will definitely be making this as a thanksgiving side dish. Hats off to the chef!
★★★★★
This is worth trying.
★★★★★
This is beautiful and so easy. I added a leek that needed using, I think this will be very adaptable
★★★★★