Mushroom Orzotto – Delicious Vegan Main Dish or Side

With a lovely nutty flavour and a pleasantly toothsome texture, Mushroom Orzotto is a versatile, hearty, vegan main dish or side.

Add variety to your dinners with this easy to make Mushroom Orzotto. Orzotto is a classic Italian dish, made from pearl barley. It’s very similar to risotto, although it’s much easier to make because you add all the liquid at once. I prefer it to risotto because I find pearl barley is heartier than rice and has a great flavour too.

I was inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Saffron Orzotto in her book, Nigelissima (affiliate link). Her recipe includes wine and cheese and while both are definitely worth making, my recipe is a bit healthier.

Mushroom Orzotto – A Healthy Side or Main Dish

Rich in fibre, protein, manganese and selenium, the pearl barley in Mushroom Orzotto is good for you. Low in fat, this complex carbohydrate can help regulate blood sugar and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Our bodies need complex carbohydrates to thrive, especially if we are following a healthy eating or weight loss programme.

Complex carbohydrates include pearl barley, brown rice, brown Basmati rice, beans, whole grains, oats, and even peas and corn (although keep the portions small with corn as it is a starchy vegetable).

Mushrooms are low in calories and fat, and a good plant-based source of protein.

How to Serve and Store Mushroom Orzotto

Mushroom Orzotto will serve two to three as a vegan main dish, or four as a side, but leftovers keep well. Simply cool leftovers quickly and store in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash more stock or boiling water if needed just to loosen the mixture a bit.

In fact, I often make my Mushroom Orzotto the day before a dinner party. It’s one less thing to worry about on the day. And now it’s normally just my husband and I at dinner during the week, it’s also a great cook once, eat twice recipe. 

Recipe Tips

• Ready-made stock or stock made from a cube is absolutely fine for Mushroom Orzotto, but if you do have homemade stock on hand, it does add a little something extra. Do not worry about making it specially though – this dish is meant to require minimum effort.
  
• You can use any saucepan to make this recipe, but I particularly love the results when I use my 26 cm Le Creuset pan (affiliate link). While Le Creuset pans are an investment, they are reliable and a pleasure to cook with. I have owned several for over twenty years, and one of mine is celebrating its 35th birthday this year. They go happily from stovetop to oven and straight to the table, which really suits the way I cook at home.

Recipe Variations

One of the things I love about Mushroom Orzotto recipe is how versatile it is. Serve it as a vegetarian or vegan main dish, or as a hearty side with fish, chicken, or any other protein, and switch up the flavour simply by varying the herbs and spices. For example:-

When I serve Mushroom Orzotto as a side dish with my Baked Cod with a Sautéed Veggie Topping, I add chopped chilis for a bit of warming heat.

On other occasions, I stick to Mediterranean herbs and spices like basil, oregano and thyme and leave out the chilis.

For a side dish with chicken, I recommend adding a teaspoon of dried tarragon; with beef try a half teaspoon each of fresh or dried rosemary and thyme.

For a vegan main dish, add a generous pinch of saffron or teaspoon of Harissa to the vegan stock* before adding it to the pan.

* If you want this Mushroom Orzotto recipe to be vegetarian or vegan you must, of course, use vegetarian or vegan stock. However if that is not a concern, you can use chicken stock instead.

Mushroom Orzotto – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Mushroom Orzotto – a healthy alternative to rice

Course Main Dish, Side Dish

Servings 4

Print

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons mild olive oil, divided
• I small white onion or shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped red chili, optional
• 1⅓ cups pearl barley, rinsed and drained
• 4¼ cups vegetable stock use vegan stock if required
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups sliced white or chestnut mushrooms, or a mixture of both
• fresh basil or a bit of fresh or dried parsley to garnish

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large casserole or saucepan with a lid.
• Gently sauté the onion or shallot until it begins to soften.
• Grate in the garlic, and the chili (if using) and cook for a minute or so.
• Turn up the heat a little and stir in the pearl barley, mixing it well with the oil, onion and garlic.
• Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
• Pour in the stock all at once and add the basil, oregano and some salt and pepper.
• Bring the orzotto to the boil, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick. Then lower the heat to a simmer and pop a lid on the pan.
• You will be cooking the orzotto for about 40 minutes, so give it a stir every 8 to 10 minutes.
• After the orzotto has been cooking for about 30 minutes, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in another saucepan.
• Sauté the mushrooms gently for about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms to the orzotto. If all the stock has been absorbed at this point, and the barley is not yet tender, add one or two tablespoons of stock or boiling water. If there is still a lot of water remaining, leave the lid off the pan for a few minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally until it is all taken up.
• Turn the heat to low, pop the lid back on the pan, and cook for another 10 minutes with the mushrooms, stirring once or twice.
• Taste the mushroom orzotto (be careful, it's really hot!) and add a bit more salt and pepper if you like.
• Serve mushroom orzotto garnished with fresh or dried parsley.

Notes

Inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Saffron Orzotto recipe. 

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