Reviewed: Mar. 11, 2012

This was pretty good...not sure if I'd exactly call it a risotto, but never the less, it was a good side dish. I made it exactly as written but cut it down to 3 servings. I did not need as much chicken broth, my barley was completly saturated with about a 1/2 cup left.

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Reviewer:

Jackie C

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Claridge, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Ooltewah, Tennessee, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2011

Amazing! Didn't miss the cheese or cream at all! I gave it 4 stars simply because I like a little crunch so I added asparagus near the end. Everything else about it was amazing! Great recipe if you're cooking for someone who is lactose intolerant, just nix the butter. Will definitely do it again!

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Reviewer:

Shay.

Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2011

Used some of the suggestions (See Hannah's suggestion) and it turned out great! I'm really surprised at how healthy it is too! Will definitely make again!

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Reviewer:

KellyG42

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Crestwood, Kentucky, USA

Living In: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 21, 2011

I like the chewy texture of barley compared to that rice, so I had high hopes for this recipe. I wasn't disappointed! I melted 3 TBsps. of butter then lightly brown the barley. Added the the onions and let those cook down. Meanwhile, I put the 4 1/2 cups of stock up to boil. Once the barley/onions were ready I added them to the hot broth. Seasoned with 1 tsp. of thyme, 1 bay leave, 2 pinches of salt, a few cracks of pepper from the mill and a pinch or so of nutmeg. I cooked the mushrooms in a little butter until soft, then added the garlic and cooked until fragrant. When the risotto was nearly done I added 1/2 cup of milk. When it was all done I tossed the mushrooms mixture into the risotto. Lovely texture and taste, BUT... It needs some kind of cheese. I know many are saying Parmesan, but I would opt for Romano and use a little more nutmeg next time. Served this with "Baked Lemon Chicken with Mushroom Sauce" from AR.

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Reviewer:

RMSR

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Reviewed: Jun. 11, 2011

This was ok. My barley had a good consistency initially, but when combined with the mushrooms it somehow lost all of its creaminess. I have no idea what I did wrong--I followed the recipe exactly. The flavor was alright, but definitely not worth the time put in to prepare it.

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Reviewer:

Katherine

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Columbus, Indiana, USA

Living In: Colchester, Vermont, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 4, 2011

This was very nice, I left out the mushrooms and instead added steamed asparagus and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan to the risotto just prior to serving. I also added 1 cup dry white wine to the liquid measure in place of one cup of the stock. * Note* Make sure you use reduced sodium stock, this way you are better able to control the amount of salt in the dish. I will definitely be making this again in the near future!

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Reviewer:

heidi

Reviewed: Nov. 20, 2010

This was yummy! I scaled it down to make for just 4 people. I stirred in a quarter cup of Parm cheese at the end, and i actually used 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme instead of dried. I salted/peppered to taste. Fabulous!

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Reviewer:

TENSMOM

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Living In: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 2, 2010

Yummmm! I added onions, slat and pepper to taste. A little more butter too, but I love anything with butter. :-) Reminded me of a soup my dad used to make. Thanks!

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Reviewer:

Luvs2Cook

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Reviewed: Jul. 7, 2010

Love it! I might never make risotto with rice again! the barley gives it a wonderful nutty and chewy texture. I use creminis for the mushrooms. Instant family favorite!

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