barley risotto with beans and greens
So here’s a little eating-out confession: When we go out to restaurants, no matter how old-school posh or hot-new-It-chef-on-a-grungy-block, I rarely find myself moved to exclamation points over a piece of steak or a pasta dish; instead, it most of my ooh-ing and aah-ing is formed over the earnest piles of beans and grains and greens that form a bed for the main attraction. I’m always applauding the way a chef managed to get such flavorful beans, grains and even unloved greens, cooked so perfectly that I clean them out long before I stick my fork into the duck breast. I guess what I am trying to say is: A lot of people cook steak well. Making kale and wheat germ taste like nirvana itself is what really blows my mind.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 11 of 12 ingredients — the other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 11 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Barley | 1 cup cooked (157g) | 193 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Bean | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 1 cup pearled barley (7 ounces)
- 1 cup beans, canned or precooked (white would be great; I used some
- mostly because they were languishing in my cabinet)
- 3 cups chopped escarole
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Salt and freshly ground pepper