A great risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods, closely followed by a crispy, melting center Arancini ball. This version bucks tradition, using barley instead of arborio rice, for a novel twist on the classic.
Deliciously creamy and accidentally vegan, this easy peasy, 10 ingredient barley risotto comes together in 30 minutes using my Instant Pot, which cuts down on washing up and frees me from mundane pot-stirring duties. Simply start by sauteing your ingredients, then set the pot to pressure cook for a few minutes and do the rest of the work.
If you do not have an Instant pot, simply scroll down for the stovetop method.
Quick Barley Risotto
With mushrooms, herbs and rocket pesto
25 Minutes
Serves 2
1 Onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 Cup Pearl Barley
1/2 glass wine (optional)
3 Cups Veg Stock
1/4 cup cashew cream/coconut cream
2 Tbsp pesto of choice
5 large mushrooms
Chopped parsley, sage or oregano for garnish
Crispy onions
Salt pepper and oil as needed
*If not following a dairy-free or vegan diet, you can add in 1/4 cup of parmesan once the risotto has finished pressure cooking.
Methods
Instant Pot Method:
For the risotto, your mushrooms can be roasted whole, for 15 minutes at 200C drizzled with oil, salt and pepper or thinly sliced and cooked until soft with your onions below.
Spoon the barley risotto into bowls, then garnish with your rocket, crispy onions and mushrooms.
Serve immediately

Chef Jess
Residing in Cape Town, South Africa, Chef Jess Bunn has cooked around the world absorbing an abundance of techniques and gaining a great deal of knowledge from each of her adventures. Chef Jess, whose cutting edge knowledge of food trends has earned her the respect of many corporate clients, is well known for her attention to detail and penchant for providing outstanding service to her clients.