Orzotto with Spring Vegetables
Servings 4
If you love fresh, Mediterranean-style veggies, you will love this Easy Vegetarian Orzotto recipe, a great vegetarian main dish or side.
Ingredients
- 3¼ cups vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard add more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons mild olive oil, divided
- 1 red or white onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or use 1 tablespoon Very Lazy Garlic
- 1⅓ cups pearl barley, rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup Madeira or sherry
- 2 cups sliced or quartered mushrooms
- 1 large zucchini or 2 medium zucchinis, cut in half horizontally and sliced in half moons zucchini is also known as courgette
- 1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed and sliced in pieces or use about 1 cup of sugar snap peas (two good handfuls), or 1 cup of frozen peas
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Put the vegetable stock in a pitcher and whisk in the mustard, celery salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large casserole or saucepan with a lid.(I use my Le Creuset casserole dish.)
- Gently sauté the onion until it begins to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, followed by the the pearl barley and let cook for a moment or two, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the stock mixture all at once and turn the heat up a little to bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Turn back the heat to low, pop on a lid and let the orzotto cook for about 40 minutes, stirring every seven or eight minutes, being careful the mixutre does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the orzotto has been cooking for about 20 minutes, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Stir in the mushrooms and zucchini and cook until they begin to soften and take up some colour.
- (Don't forget to keep stirring the orzotto occasionally.
- Finally, stir in the asparagus and/or peas and stir fry until nearly tender crisp.
- Add the vegetables to the orzotto and let the mixture continue to cook until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Taste the orzotto and if the barley is not tender enough, you can stir in a little more stock, boiling water or Madeira.
- Once the orzotto is tender, taste for seasoning. You can add a bit of salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Divide between 4 bowls or plates.
- Garnish with the flat leaf parsley.
- Serve with a crisp green salad, a tomato and onion salad, or hot rolls if you like.
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