Beetroot and pearl barley risotto with pear and cream cheese
A risotto with a twist: pearl barley and beetroot meet sweet pear and creamy cottage cheese or goat's cheese. A vegetarian dish with earthy, fruity, and subtly spicy flavors.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 3 small onions
- 300 g pearl barley
- 200 ml beetroot juice
- 2 Abate bulbs
- 100g cottage cheese, or alternatively, fresh goat cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 50 ml olive oil
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 700 ml strong vegetable stock
- freshly ground black pepper
- 100g cold butter
- 1 tbsp herb salt
- 1 tbsp extra butter
Method · 45 min
- For the risotto, peel and finely dice the onions and garlic. Sauté them in olive oil until translucent, add the pearl barley and cook briefly. Deglaze with white wine, stirring constantly, and allow the liquid to evaporate completely. Add the bay leaves.
- Gradually pour in the vegetable stock and beetroot juice, and cook the pearl barley for 30–40 minutes over low heat until al dente.
- Wash and core the pears, then cut them into fine segments and sauté briefly with a pinch of pepper in 1 tbsp of foaming butter and set aside.
- Remove the bay leaves from the risotto and stir in the cold butter. Season well with herbed salt and black pepper.
- Arrange the risotto with cottage cheese or goat's cheese and the pear segments.
Cottage cheese, or alternatively, fresh goat cheese