Wild Mushroom Barley

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Served as a vegan main or a side dish, it’s easy to make and you only need 10 ingredients. I love the simplicity of the combination of mushrooms, garlic and herbs. Also, you take advantage of the heat in the pan and stir in baby spinach for greens.

This is a great farmers market recipe. Usually there is at least one mushroom stall at a market. If you want to buy local specialty ingredients, mushrooms are a great option.

Barley is a nutritious grain that delivers on texture. Used in soups, salads and side dishes, barley is so versatile. Cooked barley has a nice chewy bite. I highly recommend keeping it in your pantry.

What are Wild Mushrooms?

At its most basic, wild mushrooms are picked or foraged, and cultivated mushrooms are grown in controlled environments. So that means you will have varieties that fall into both categories depending how and where they are grown. 

If you usually cook button, cremini or portobello mushrooms, use this recipe to expand your horizon to other ones such as oyster, enoki and beech mushrooms. Even though they are different sizes, just slice the larger ones and break up the bunches of smaller ones. 

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Mushrooms: As mentioned, try to use a mix of mushroom types. This barley will turn out more interesting if you include a variety that goes beyond the most common types. 
• Barley: I simmer the grains in water on the stove. You also can use low-sodium vegetable broth. Instead of pearled barley, you can substitute with brown rice or farro, which both have grains similar in size to barley. I prefer them over quinoa in this recipe.
• Spinach: When the mushrooms have finished sautéing, I add baby spinach with the cooked barley. The heat in the pan gently wilts the leaves. You can substitute with chopped kale.
• Garlic: I sauté 2 minced garlic cloves with the mushrooms after they brown.
• Chives and parsley are a great mix of fresh herbs because they add some onion flavor along with general herbiness.
• Olive oil: This is a recipe with few ingredients, so you need make sure they all taste good on their own. That’s why I like using high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt & pepper season the mushroom barley.

How To Make Wild Mushroom Barley

1. Cook the barley. Combine the barley and water in a pot. Bring them to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the grains are tender but chewy, about 12 minutes. Let stand for 2-3 minutes and fluff with a fork. Drain any excess water from the pot.

2. Sauté the mushrooms. Warm the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes until they start to brown. 

3. Stir the garlic, salt and pepper into the mushrooms. Sauté for a few more minutes until the mushrooms are caramelized and fragrant.

4. Fold the barley and spinach into the mushrooms. The greens will wilt. Then stir in the parsley and chives.

Serving

Side dishes with grains and vegetables are always simple and satisfying. You can use this strategy throughout the year, changing the veggie for the season. The flavors in this recipe go with Mediterranean and Italian main dishes that can include proteins such as chicken, salmon or shrimp. 

Leftovers & Storage

You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Either warm them in the microwave or eat them cold. You can add fresh spinach, arugula or other leafy greens and turn it into a salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette.

Recipe Tips

Don’t overcook the barley. It should be tender and cooked through, but still somewhat chewy.

Cook the mushrooms until they are lightly browned. When you give mushrooms enough time to brown and caramelize, you enhance their flavor.

Don’t worry. At first it will look like a lot of spinach in the skillet. The heat will quickly wilt the greens, and they will easily mix into the grains and mushrooms.

More Mushroom Recipes

Baked Mushroom Quesadillas
Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Lemon Garlic Mushroom Spaghetti
Sheet Pan Asparagus Mushroom Gnocchi
Baked Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Asparagus Stir-Fry with Mushrooms
Mushroom Crustless Quiche
Miso Mushroom Pasta