Stir Fried Barley with Vegetables

Stir Fried Barley with Vegetables

May was a very busy month, and I did practically no "new" cooking.  Just stuck with old family favorites, and it was a nice change of pace.  But now I return to my new cookbooks and file folder filled with recipes I want to try out!

This recipe I cut off the back of the Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley package!

I really like this brand, and I've mentioned it a few times before on this blog.  I've used all of their soup mixes I think.  Plus, I can buy this brand locally in a few stores - I usually purchase it at Kroger.

The original recipe did not include vegetables, except for a little onion.  I decided to add chopped carrots to the dish, and it was great.  Next time I will probably add broccoli or some other vegetable as well.  I modified the recipe from the original in a couple of other ways too.

It was a hit in our house (woo hoo!) and something I'm sure I'll return to again and again!

I started by heating olive oil in a skillet and cooking the onion, carrots, and crushed red pepper flakes for a couple of minutes.  David and I are not onion fans (surprisingly the boys are), but I know they are healthy and add great flavor.  A lot of times I just omit the onion in recipes, but I'm trying to control that impulse these days!

Once the vegetables were slightly cooked, I added in the butter and barley.

I had already soaked and cooked Pearl Barley, so I just pulled it from the fridge.

(If you are not familiar with soaking grains, I'm happy to share my experiences with you.  Just email or give me a call.)

I heated the barley through and incorporated it with the vegetables.

Then I added in the chopped basil, tomato paste, and chicken bouillon powder.

The original recipe suggested beef bouillon but I didn't have any. 

I think the basil, tomato, and bouillon add great flavor - you could use any variety that you have on hand.

Then I seasoned with a tiny bit of black pepper and Kosher salt, and served the dish warm.

And some leftover for me for lunch as well!

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

Enjoy!