This stew was adapted from a recipe I found in Bon Appétit | December 2009
photo credit: WordRidden
Barley is a hearty grain that works great in soups and stews, add some mushrooms and you won’t even notice that this is a vegan dish. Great for a Meatless Monday. I made a pot of this earlier this week while doing research for my upcoming Grains Cookbooklet. You can turn it into a soup by adding more broth. This stew works well as leftovers too. The Slow Food Westchester leadership team enjoyed it the next day during our planning meeting for 2010.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks (about 2 small stalks; white and pale green parts only)
- 1 8-ounce container sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 6 cups vegetable broth or mushroom broth
- 1 bunch kale (about 8 ounces), trimmed, center stalks removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 8 cups packed)
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks; sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until leeks begin to soften, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary; increase heat to medium-high and sauté until mushrooms soften and begin to brown, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice; stir 1 minute. Add barley and 4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until barley is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add kale; stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Cover and simmer until kale and barley are tender, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed for desired stew consistency, about 10 minutes.
