I can’t think of a better way to end the week than with this Tomato Barley Risotto with Cashew Sour Cream.
Confession: making risotto always intimidated me. I’m not talking about making creamy rice, I’m talking about real traditional risotto. I’m so glad I got over that ridiculous fear! Yes, it needs a fair amount of attention, but it’s actually quite easy to make once you learn the technique. You just have to be patient and don’t rush the process.
Instead of a more conventional rice risotto, I’m making a pearl barley risotto. It’s just as creamy, but it has a bit more texture and a deeper flavor. Barley is one of those grains that’s completely underrated. Have you cooked with barley before?!? Takes a little longer to cook, but it’s totally worth it. I absolutely love the chewy texture and the nutty, wholesome flavor of barley.
Looking for a dish that will blow your mind?! This vegan risotto will definitely bring you joy, plus nobody will ever know it’s 100% plant-based. The secret to an amazing risotto: you don’t need butter or cheese to make a creamy risotto; you just need to stir frequently and the barley will release its starches creating a rich, velvety consistency.
This risotto is infused with delicious aromatics, white wine and tomatoes, and topped with a heavenly cashew sour cream. You could skip the cashew cream and the risotto will still taste incredible, but I really hope you don’t. The combination of the two is just perfection. Trust me on this one!
A risotto is super comforting but simple. It takes a bit of time but hits the spot every single time. It’s that crowd-pleasing dish that even your kids will love; it’s that cozy meal that never fails to impress. It’s that satisfying and indulgent bowl at the end the day. It’s cheap and truly delicious!
If you try this wonderful barley risotto, let us know what you think. Tag us on Instagram @mondaydreamsblog or leave a comment below. We love hearing from you!
Rich, creamy, velvety, chewy Tomato Barley Risotto with Cashew Sour Cream that never fails to impress. This simple risotto is vegan, flavorful and the most comforting, satisfying dinner you’ll have.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Cashews Soaking Time 2 hourshours
Servings 4
Ingredients
TOMATO BROTH:
1 14.5ozcan diced tomatoes
3cupswater – can sub vegetable broth, I used water
½tspsea salt
RISOTTO:
3Tbspolive oil
1medium yellow onion,finely chopped
1medium leek,thinly sliced
2garlic cloves,minced
½tspchili flakes
½tspsea salt
1cuppearl barley
⅓cupwhite wine
1cupcherry tomatoes,halved or quartered, depending on their size
½tspcoconut sugar –will cut down the acidity of tomatoes
5big basil leaves,finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
TO SERVE:
Cashew Sour Cream
Cherry tomatoes,halved or quartered
Fresh basil,finely chopped
CASHEW SOUR CREAM:
½cupcashews -soaked for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight*
¼cupwater
1 ½Tbsplemon juice
1tspapple cider vinegar
¼tsponion powder
¼tspsea salt
Instructions
CASHEW SOUR CREAM:
Make the cashew sour cream first, and have it ready for serving.
Drain and rinse cashews.
Add all ingredients, including cashews, to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Transfer to a small bowl or jar, set aside.
TOMATO BROTH:
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Place tomato broth on a medium pan and bring to a very light simmer. Keep it warm. Warming the broth before adding it to the barley will release more starch and make a creamier risotto.
While you warm the broth prepare the risotto ingredients.
RISOTTO:
On a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion is a bit translucent.
Add leek, garlic cloves, chili flakes and sea salt. Sauté for 3 more minutes.
Add barley and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until slightly toasted and fragrant.
Add white wine and deglaze (use your spoon to release all those caramelized bits form the bottom) the pan. And cook, stirring often, until all the wine is absorbed.
Add ¾ - 1 cup of warm broth and cook, stirring frequently, until all the broth is absorbed. Repeat this process: keep adding ¾ - 1 cup of warm broth at a time, stirring regularly between additions, always allowing the liquid to absorb before adding more broth. Risotto will get thicker and creamier with every cup of broth.
When you have approximately 1 – 1 ½ cup of broth left in the broth pan, add cherry tomatoes to the risotto.
Continue adding what’s left of the tomato broth, ¾ - 1 cup at a time.
The whole process should take about 40 - 45 minutes and use up all (or most) the broth. Taste the barley to know when it’s done, it should be al dente by now, perfectly tender, but still a bit chewy. If it’s not ready, add another ½ cup of hot water.
Once it’s ready, turn of the heat and add coconut sugar, fresh basil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Serve immediately with a big dollop of cashew sour cream, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
Enjoy!
You can make the tomato broth and the cashew sour-cream in advance and store them in the fridge. Risotto is best made and served immediately, but you could store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat over the stove with an extra splash of water or veggie broth.
Notes
* Soaking nuts overnight makes them a whole lot healthier (you can read more about it here). But if you want to make the risotto now, soak the cashews in boiling water for 20 - 30 minutes. This will soften them quickly.