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Kabocha squash vegan barley risotto

Kabocha squash vegan barley risotto with toasted pecan cream
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Kabocha squash vegan barley risotto with toasted pecan cream.

  • Author: Anastasia
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 50 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 2-3 1x
  • Category: Main course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 C pearl barley
  • 2 1/2 C vegetable stock
  • 3 C chopped Kabocha squash
  • 1/2 C toasted pecan cream
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1–2 minced shallots
  • 1–2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp olive oil + for roasting
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
For toasted pecan cream:
  • 1/2 C toasted pecans
  • 1/2 C water
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
  2. Put pearl barley in a pot and cover it with fresh water. Bring it to a boil and then drain. This will decrease barley’s cooking time and eliminate the unpleasant grey colour.
  3. Heat a big, shallow pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, shallots and garlic. Stir until fragrant and soft.
  4. Add barley and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add more stock or water if it evaporates too fast.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare pecan cream and squash.
  6. Dice 1 cup of squash into 1/4-inch pieces. Mix it with olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until it just starts to brown, but not too soft. Set aside.
  7. To make a cream, add pecans, water, and a pinch of salt to a high-speed blender and blend until it is very smooth. Add more water if necessary. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
  8. Prepare the steamer and steam the remaining 2 cups of squash until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked squash into a blender, add 1/2 cup of pecan cream and 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast, and blend until you reach a consistency of purée. Set aside.
  9. After 40 minutes of simmering, taste the barley for doneness. If not done yet, continue cooking and add more liquid if needed.
  10. When barley is soft and all liquid is absorbed, stir in pureed squash, cook for a few more minutes to thicken and season with salt and pepper. Taste again. Remove from the heat and fold in roasted squash, saving some for garnishing.

Notes

Try any kind of winter squash.

Nutrition facts are for two big portions.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.slavicvegan.com/2018/12/21/kabocha-squash-vegan-barley-risotto/