Mushroom and kale barley bowl

Method

1. Slice the mushrooms, dice the onion and finely chop the garlic. Rinse the pearl barley in a sieve.
2. Get the olive oil hot in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring only now and then, until their liquid has gone and they are well browned.
3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic and dried thyme and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft.
4. Stir in the barley, crumble in the stock cube and pour in 650 ml of water. Bring to the boil, then part cover and simmer on a low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the barley is tender with a little chew.
5. If the pan looks dry before the barley is done, add a splash of hot water. Cut the thick stalks from the kale, tear the leaves and stir them in for the last 4 minutes, until wilted.
6. Stir in the juice of half the lemon, then taste and add salt and black pepper. Spoon into bowls, scatter with the roughly chopped walnuts and put the rest of the lemon alongside in wedges.

Tip Do not stir the mushrooms too often at the start; leaving them alone is what browns them. Any leftover barley reheats well with a splash of water.

Photo made with AI.

From Nosha · nosha.app