Summer Vegetable Barley Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 3/4 cups pearl barley
• 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
• 5 cups hot vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes 
• 2 cups green vegetables of your choice
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the olive oil until golden. Add garlic and cook until aromatic. Add barley and stir to coat. Add wine and reduce until dry.
2. Add about 1 cup of hot stock and the bay leaf to barley, just enough to come to the top of the grain. Cook over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. (This should take about 5 minutes. If the liquid absorbs too quickly, reduce the heat.) Repeat with 4 more cups of hot stock, adding 1 cup at a time and cooking until all the liquid is absorbed before adding more, stirring occasionally. This should take about 35 minutes.
3. Stir in the vegetables; cook until the barley is slightly creamy and just tender. This should take about 15 minutes. Increase heat slightly if the mixture is too wet. Just before serving, remove the bay leaf; stir in the greens and allow to wilt. Stir in the cheese and zest. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Diet Cookbook. Risotto is a delicious comfort food when it is done right. This is another version of the barley risotto and it's quite tasty. I used the combination of asparagus and tomatoes and it was very tasty, succulent and juicy. You can enjoy your risotto in the summer with the right vegetables.