Creamy like risotto, but made with barley – with more beta-glucan than oats and a squeeze of lemon for the iron.
Time: 55 min, 25 min activeMakes: 4 servingsNo Thermomix needed: standard kitchen equipment
Why this recipe is good for you
- Barley contains even more beta-glucan than oats. This soluble fibre forms a gel in your gut that binds bile acids and so lowers LDL cholesterol – and it slows down sugar absorption. Read more
- The vitamin C in the lemon converts iron into a form your body can use more easily – which helps with the plant-based iron in the spinach. Coffee or black tea with your meal, on the other hand, reduce absorption. Read more
Barley contains gluten – not suitable if you have coeliac disease.
Ingredients
Risotto
- 250 g pearl barley
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 1 l vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 40 g Parmesan
- 1 unwaxed organic lemon
- Salt, pepper
To serve
- 2 chicken breast fillets (approx. 300 g)
- 150 g baby spinach
Equipment you need
- Large pot
- Frying pan
- Sieve
- Chopping board and knife
- Grater
Method
- Rinse the barley: Rinse the barley in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Chop the onion and leek: Dice the onion. Slice the leek open lengthways, wash it thoroughly and cut it into fine rings.
- Sweat the vegetables: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the pot, sweat the onion and leek for three minutes, then stir in the barley for one minute.
- Cook the barley: Pour in the stock and let the barley simmer gently for 35 minutes, stirring now and then. (35 minutes)
- Fry the chicken: Cut the chicken into cubes, season with salt and fry in one tablespoon of oil for six to eight minutes, turning, until cooked through.
- Fold in the spinach: Fold in the spinach, chicken and grated Parmesan until the spinach wilts.
- Finish with lemon: Grate in the lemon zest, add a squeeze of juice and season with salt and pepper.
