Warm Pearl Barley Grain Bowl
This warm pearl barley grain bowl features sautéed asparagus and mushrooms along with a soft-boiled egg. Sriracha mayo puts it over the top!
Servings: 4
Calories: 283kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (about ¾ ounce)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound asparagus
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon sriracha hot sauce or more, to taste
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. While the water is heating, rinse the barley in a fine-mesh sieve. When water is boiling, add the barley and the salt. Turn the heat down to medium-high.
- Bring to a boil again, but pay attention to it. Barley has a habit of foaming over when it cooks. Turn down the heat if it does. When the barley reaches a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for around 25 minutes. Test a piece—you want it to be soft and a little chewy. If it’s not done, continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes. You can add more water if all the water is absorbed and the pan is dry. When the barley is done, strain it into a colander and then return it to the pan (you may not need to drain it if all the water has cooked out).
- Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and parmesan cheese and pepper.
- While barley is cooking, trim ends of asparagus and cut into 1-2 inch chunks. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel, and cut off any dirty stems. Then cut mushrooms into halves or quarters depending on their size.
- Make sriracha mayo by combining the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl. Taste, and add more sriracha if you like more heat.
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, then add 1 tablespoon butter. When butter has melted, add mushrooms and cook until they release most of their liquid and begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add asparagus and cook another 8-10 minutes until mushrooms are very browned and the asparagus is bright green and tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring a small, deep saucepan of water to a boil. You need enough water to submerge your eggs. When water is boiling, submerge your eggs and cook for 7 minutes. Turn down the heat if the water starts to boil wildly. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon, then rinse under cold water until they are cool enough to peel.
- Put a scoop of pearl barley into your bowl, then top with vegetables, a soft-boiled egg, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo.
Notes
- The ingredients for this grain bowl will keep, separately, in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.
- Making the pearl barley in advance is a great trick for weeknight meal prep. Make a batch in advance, then just sauté vegetables and boil your eggs when it comes time to serve the meal.
- When boiling eggs, watch the heat on the stovetop. Make sure the water is simmering brightly, but not boiling so hard that the eggs are banging into the sides of the pan.
- You can substitute lots of different vegetables for the asparagus and mushrooms—use whatever is in your crisper drawer. Vegetables can be sautéed, as in this recipe, or roasted.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 474mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g
