• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Veg Space

easy vegan recipes

  • About
    • About
    • Press & Media
    • Work With Me
  • All Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Main Courses
    • Baking Recipes
    • Soups & Stews
    • 20 Minute Meals
    • Lunch Ideas
    • Starters & Sides
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Canapés & Nibbles
  • 4 Week Vegan Meal Plan
  • My Book: Vegan in 15
    • My Book: Vegan in 15
    • Vegan Store Cupboard
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Vegan Baking
  • 4 Week Vegan Meal Plan
  • My Book: Vegan in 15
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Main Courses » Pearl Barley with butternut squash & kale

    Pearl Barley with butternut squash & kale

    Published: Nov 25, 2015 · Modified: Apr 27, 2022 by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pearl Barley recipe
    JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO PRINT RECIPE BOOKMARK SAVED!
    Pinterest Pin for Pearl Barley Risotto

    A hearty pearl barley recipe with butternut squash and curly kale - easy to make and perfect vegan comfort food. Nutritious and delicious!

    🍴Why you will love this recipe

    This delicious pearl barley recipe is proper comfort food. Easy to make, hearty and healthy, it will fill you up and warm you through on a chilly evening.  

    It is made in the same way as you would a risotto, though it needs much less stirring. Butternut squash gives the stew a smooth creaminess, and it is packed with flavour from garlic and white wine.

    Pearl barley almost doubles in size as it cooks, so be prepared... what looks like a bit of a measly saucepan of ingredients soon becomes a very hearty supper with leftovers for lunch!

    Jump to:
    • 🍴Why you will love this recipe
    • 📝 What you need
    • 👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your pearl barley with squash and kale
    • 🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
    • 🍽 If you liked that...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments and Reviews
    Ingredients for Pearl Barley recipe

    📝 What you need

    Pearl barley is very cheap and easy to find in supermarkets. It is a great source of fibre, and has a lovely chewy texture.

    Butternut squash gives a lovely creaminess to this dish - by the end of cooking it will be almost at the point of collapse.

    White wine gives the sauce a rich, deep flavour. Check that your wine is vegan - if you're not sure you can consult the excellent app Barnivore.

    Curly kale is a lovely green addition to this dish. If you don't have any to hand, you could use spinach or cavolo nero instead.

    👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your pearl barley with squash and kale

    For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page. 👇🏼

    fry onion and cube butternut squash

    Gently fry onion and garlic. Peel and cube the butternut squash and add to the pan.

    add barley wine and stock

    Add white wine and pearl barley and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the vegetable stock. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    add kale and toast pine nuts

    Remove any thick stems from the kale and roughly chop the leaves. Stir through the barley risotto just a minute before the end of cooking time. Toast pine nuts in a dry frying pan until just golden, then sprinkle them over the pearl barley just before serving.

    🔪 Top Tips & FAQs

    Keep an eye on the liquid level whilst your pearl barley is cooking. If it is looking too dry, just add a little more water, and/or put a lid on the pot as it cooks gently. If there is too much liquid left towards the end of cooking time, turn up the heat a little until it bubbles away.

    The pearl barley should be just cooked through, not completely soft. Taste it near to the end of cooking time and adjust cooking time accordingly.

    vegan pearl barley recipe
    Can I freeze my pearl barley?

    The texture of cooked pearl barley is compromised after freezing, so this dish is best when cooked from fresh. However there are no safety issues with freezing it so if you have leftovers

    I don't have any pearl barley - what else could I make this with?

    You could substitute the pearl barley in this recipe for risotto rice (arborio rice) and it would make a deliciously creamy butternut squash risotto instead.

    What else can I make with pearl barley?

    If you have pearl barley left over from this recipe, you could try my Vegan Stew with ale and pearl barley, or Pearl Barley Risotto with mushrooms and sugar snap peas.

    Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.

    🍽 If you liked that...

    .... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:

    Vegan Stew
    Vegan Stew with ale & pearl barley
    Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
    Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
    Wild Mushroom & Sherry Risotto | Vegan
    Wild Mushroom & Sherry Risotto

    📖 Recipe

    Pearl Barley recipe

    Pearl Barley with kale & butternut squash

    Kate Ford | The Veg Space
    A hearty pearl barley recipe with butternut squash and curly kale - easy to make and perfect vegan comfort food. Nutritious and delicious!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine British
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 424 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 onion
    • 2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic purée
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 600 g butternut squash
    • 250 g pearl barley
    • 150 ml white wine check it is vegan
    • 750 ml vegetable stock
    • salt & black pepper
    • 100 g curly kale
    • fresh parsley or thyme
    • 1 lemon
    • handful pine nuts

    Instructions
     

    • Peel and thinly slice the onion. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion and garlic over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until softened.
    • Meanwhile, peel and de-seed the butternut squash and cut into cubes. Add to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes.
    • Add the pearl barley and white wine to the pan, turn up the heat and cook for 3 minutes until most of the wine has cooked away.
    • Add the stock, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Remove any tough stalks from the curly kale and roughly chop the leaves. Remove the stalks from the parsley and finely chop the leaves.
    • Add the curly kale to the pan, and cook for a further 5 minutes until the pearl barley is tender, but still a little chewy.
    • Remove from the heat, stir through the parsley and juice of the lemon.
    • Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until just turning golden brown.
    • Divide the pearl barley between bowls and scatter each with the toasted pine nuts to serve.

    ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

    Video

    Notes

    Keep an eye on the liquid level whilst your pearl barley is cooking. If it is looking too dry, just add a little more water, and/or put a lid on the pot as it cooks gently. If there is too much liquid left towards the end of cooking time, turn up the heat a little until it bubbles away.
    The pearl barley should be just cooked through, not completely soft. Taste it near to the end of cooking time and adjust cooking time accordingly.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 424kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 9gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 775mgPotassium: 936mgFiber: 14gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 18862IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
    SHARE BY EMAIL SHARE TO FACBOOK
    Vegan meal plan and shopping lists

    Free 4-Week Vegan Meal Plan

    Have you got your hands on a copy of my meal plan yet? If not CLICK here to download a copy of my FREE 4 Week Vegan Meal Plan today!

    Veg Space E-Newsletter

    Don't want to miss a thing?

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    Or why not subscribe to my blog and get delicious vegan recipes straight to your inbox every week?

    Vegan in 15 by Kate Ford

    For more quick and easy vegan recipes take a look at my latest book Vegan in 15.

    "Brilliant! Chock full of easy recipes and great tips and advice"  Hello! Magazine

    Please note that all recipes and images on The Veg Space are copyright protected. If you would like to share the recipe, please use the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or copy and paste the recipe, (even if credited to The Veg Space). Many thanks for your understanding

    « Beetroot Ketchup with chilli
    21 Christmas Gift Ideas for Vegetarian & Vegan Foodies! »

    About Kate Ford

    Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lesley says

      January 31, 2022 at 7:46 am

      Delicious recipe which was a nice change from a creamy rice style risotto. Unfortunately I didn’t have Kale do I substituted broccoli which was ok but I’m sure kale would be better. Thank you Kate for another great recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kate Ford says

        January 31, 2022 at 10:27 am

        Ah that's lovely to hear, thanks Lesley!

        Reply
    2. Sara Welch says

      January 27, 2022 at 10:25 pm

      Love this hearty yet healthy recipe! So many flavors and textures; easily, a new favorite recipe!

      Reply
    3. Maria San Juan says

      January 27, 2022 at 10:09 pm

      So yummy! a must-try! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
    4. Tavo says

      January 27, 2022 at 10:02 pm

      Loved this healthy recipe from the first time I made it and have been making it since then!

      Reply
    5. Casey says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:39 pm

      Healthy comfort food?! I am totally in! I used chicken stock (didn't have veggie) and it was so yummy!

      Reply
    6. Andrea says

      January 27, 2022 at 9:22 pm

      This looks and sounds so hearty and comforting.

      Reply
    7. Jan says

      December 02, 2015 at 6:47 am

      Oooh that risotto looks delicious Kate - the ThermoCook is certainly a fantastic piece of kit!!

      Reply
      • thevegspace says

        December 02, 2015 at 3:04 pm

        Thanks Jan! Yes still getting to grips with it, but its quite amazing what it can do!

        Reply
    8. Kavey says

      November 27, 2015 at 6:46 am

      I'm really looking forward to starting play with my ThermoCook. We did have a similar device on loan a few years ago and loved it so I'm very excited to start using this one. I love pearl barley in risotto-style dishes, so this is a good inspirational start!

      Reply
      • thevegspace says

        December 02, 2015 at 3:57 pm

        Thanks Kavey, look forward to seeing what you get up to with yours!

        Reply
    9. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      November 26, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      The Thermocook sounds like of f those machines that everyone should get for Christmas.

      Reply
      • thevegspace says

        December 02, 2015 at 3:57 pm

        I definitely think so Bintu!

        Reply
    10. Lucy Parissi says

      November 25, 2015 at 7:19 pm

      I love that this gadget has so many functions. The price is a bit eye watering though... Your risotto looks delicious - you are making me super hungry!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Kate. I'm on a mission to prove that vegan food can be every bit as delicious and decadent as its non-vegan equivalent! Read more →

    > FOLLOW

    Subscribe now to never miss a new recipe & receive a free copy of my vegan meal plan!

    > POPULAR RECIPES

    • Tuscan Bean Stew
    • Roasted Pumpkin Soup with garlic and rosemary
    • Roasted Courgette Soup with peas & basil
    • Chestnut Mushroom Bourguignon

    > AS SEEN IN....

    > SEASONAL RECIPES

    • Vegan Toad in the Hole
    • Curried Parsnip Soup
    • Easy Vegan Carrot Cake
    • Vegan Apple Crumble

    Hi! I'm Kate. I'm on a mission to prove that vegan food can be every bit as delicious and decadent as its non-vegan equivalent! Read more →

    > FOLLOW

    Subscribe now to never miss a new recipe & receive a free copy of my vegan meal plan!

    > POPULAR RECIPES

    • Tuscan Bean Stew
    • Roasted Pumpkin Soup with garlic and rosemary
    • Roasted Courgette Soup with peas & basil
    • Chestnut Mushroom Bourguignon

    > AS SEEN IN....

    > SEASONAL RECIPES

    • Vegan Toad in the Hole
    • Curried Parsnip Soup
    • Easy Vegan Carrot Cake
    • Vegan Apple Crumble

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About Me
    • Work with me

    ↑ back to top

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2021 KATE FORD @ THE VEG SPACE | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    369 shares