Veggie Loaded Barley Risotto

I came home one night last week with my heart set on having risotto. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any arborio rice. However, I did have barley, and I do like barley risotto. I do my risottos in my pressure cooker for the most part, which is really nice with this particular one. I used some cooked green beans that were leftover, but you can use any veggies you want. Raw ones that take a while to cook go in at the beginning, and the cooked ones (or ones that don’t need much cooking time) go in after the pressure comes down.

Veggie Loaded Barley Risotto

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 small-medium onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup hulled barley, rinsed well (not pearled)
• 3.5 cups veggie broth or vegan chicken broth
• 0.5 cups vegan white wine
• salt, optional
• long cooking veggies (I used julienned carrots and chayote squash, because I had them on hand- winter squashes would be good here, too)
• quick cooking/already cooked veggies (I used green beans, already cooked, and frozen shelled edamame. Leafy greens are good here, too)
• optional: vegan cheese; garnishes- I used sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds

1. Heat the canola oil in the pressure cooker. Add the onion and hard veggies and saute until translucent (add broth if it gets to dry). Add the garlic when the onion gets soft; then add the barley to toast for about a minute.
2. Add the broth and the wine. You may add salt if needed- but go really light with it.
3. Put the lid on your pressure cooker, and bring up to high pressure (read your instruction manual on how to do that). Leave at high pressure (on the lowest heat setting that keeps it up there)for 35 minutes.
4. Bring down the pressure with the quick-release method (check your manufacturer’s instructions).
5. Return pressure cooker to the heat. Add vegan cheese and any frozen vegetables. As the frozen veggies defrost, add in your cold but cooked veggies and greens, if using. (If using fresh uncooked veggies like green beans, add them with the frozen ones).
6. Continue cooking until water is absorbed, cheese is melted and veggies are cooked.
7. Garnish and serve!