Barley risotto with balsamic pork and beetroot
8
Points®
Total time: 5 hr 25 min • Prep: 30 min • Cook: 55 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
Why not try swapping traditional Arborio rice for pearl barley in risottos. A lower fat option and higher in fibre there are so many reason it’s a great choice in this balsamic pork and beetroot risotto.


Ingredients
Pearl barley
1 cup(s), (200g)
Freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup(s), (60ml)
Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp
Garlic
2 clove(s), crushed
Pork fillet or tenderloin, raw
320 g, (buy 400g) halved crossways
Beetroot
4 medium
Olive oil
1 tbs
Mushrooms
500 g, sliced
Salt reduced chicken stock
3 cup(s), (750ml)
Brown onion
1 medium, finely chopped
Baby spinach
120 g
Soft goat's cheese
60 g, crumbled
Fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs, or chervil to serve
Instructions
1
Place barley in a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside for 4 hours. Drain.
2
Meanwhile, combine juice, vinegar and half the garlic in a shallow dish. Add pork and turn to coat. Cover and place in fridge until required.
3
Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced. Wrap each beetroot in foil and place on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel beetroots and cut into strips.
4
Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, stirring, for 4–5 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a plate.
5
Place stock in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until required.
6
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and remaining garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add barley and stir to coat. Reduce heat and add hot stock mixture, a ladle (½ cup/125ml) at a time, stirring constantly for 20–25 minutes or until barley is tender.
7
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with baking paper. Heat remaining oil in same cleaned frying pan used for mushrooms over medium-high heat. Cook pork, turning, for 5–7 minutes or until browned. Transfer to prepared tray and bake for 8 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover pork with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thickly.
8
Stir mushrooms and spinach into risotto mixture. Cook for 1 minute or until heated through and spinach wilts. Top risotto with beetroot, pork and goat’s cheese. Sprinkle with chervil or parsley to serve.
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