Vegetable Barley Risotto

I wanted to try another barley risotto recipe since 1) it seems like something Simran will be able to eat without pureeing it, and 2) I have tons of barley in the pantry.  I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com courtesy of Robert Irvine.  I plan to serve it alongside kale in walnut sauce (our standard green vegetable of choice these days).

Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
1/8 cup canola oil
1 pound bag pearl barley
1 zucchini, medium dice
1 yellow squash, medium dice
1 carrot, medium dice
1 red onion, medium dice
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup whole unsalted butter

Directions

 

1. Bring broth to a simmer. In a separate large saucepan on an adjacent burner, heat the oil and add barley. Lightly saute: you actually are toasting the barley. Add vegetables to the barley and saute them until translucent. Add bay leaf and garlic. Begin slowly adding broth, 1 ladle-full at a time, to the barley/vegetable pan, stirring occasionally: this will bring out the starch in the barley. As the mixture absorbs the broth, ladle more into the pot. When all of the broth has been ladled into the barley pot, slowly simmer until barley is soft and creamy. Add butter as the last step for more flavor and creaminess to risotto.