4
Serves
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
A creamy risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice, which falls in the top (undesirable) tier of the Magic Eating Carb Options Chart (see here). We’ve created this blood sugar-friendly version, which swaps nutty tasting whole grain barley for the white rice. Since risotto requires almost constant stirring, quick-cooking barley is a more practical choice than pearl barley.
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces/284 milliliters) vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup water
1 pound (450 grams) asparagus, stem ends snapped off, cut into 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) lengths (2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup quick-cooking barley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or snipped chives
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Combine the broth and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Drop in the asparagus and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth at a bare simmer.
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Continue to simmer and stir almost constantly, adding broth about 1/2 cup at a time and waiting until most of it has been absorbed before adding more, until barley is tender and risotto has creamy consistency, about 15 minutes.
3. Add the reserved asparagus and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. One serving is 1 cup.
Per serving: 221 calories, 9 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 319 mg sodium.