Pearl Barley, Sweet Potato & Caramelised Red Onion Bowl

Following on from my Barley Soup post a few days ago, here is what I made with some barley I had left over. This is quite a simple dish and doesn’t require many ingredients but is a nutritious, filling, vegan meal.

In the Barley Soup post I spoke about the benefits of barley, for example how it offers slow-releasing energy and is low GI, which makes it the perfect food, really. Add some sweet potato to this for extra energy and immune-boosting as well as anti-inflammatory properties, and you’ve got yourself a perfect meal.

It turned out really delicious and I garnished it with some parsley because I’m just so darn obsessed with the taste of it, and having it raw ensures we get all of the anti-oxidant benefits that this wonder food offers.

This is also a great meals for toddlers; they can use their hands and get messy with it, and it’s full of wonderful nutrients for them.

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley
3 cups vegetable stock
1 sweet potato
1 red onion
1 tsp coconut oil and extra to put on the sweet potatoes
1 tbsp honey
Drizzle of maple syrup
Himalayan salt & black pepper to taste
Parsley to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180*. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and put them on a baking tray and drizzle with coconut oil. Bake until soft but not too soft.

Cook the barley in the stock. It can take quite a while so give yourself enough time. It can also absorb a lot of water so make sure you add more if needed. You don’t want to consistency to be porridge-like. Stir often to stop from sticking.

In the meantime heat the coconut oil in a pan and add the red onion. Cook slowly on a low heat until they start to soften. Add the honey, mix, and let it caramelise. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix. Once fully cooked and soft, remove from the heat.

Once the barley is cooked, add it to a bowl, then add the sweet potato and caramelised onions, drizzle a teeny bit of maple syrup, add some salt and pepper and mix.

Love & health,
Lauren

Leave a Reply