Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
8 oz. mushrooms
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup pearled barley
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mince the garlic and slice the mushrooms
2
Add the garlic, mushrooms, and butter to a Dutch oven. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms have softened.
3
Add the barley, vegetable broth, thyme and freshly cracked pepper to the dutch oven. Stir to combine, place the lid on top, and transfer to the oven. Bake the barley for one hour.
4
After baking for one hour, stir the barley to fluff it up. Give the barley a taste and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking. Top with chopped fresh parsley just before serving.
Key Points About Ingredients:
- Pearl barley is a wonderfully chewy, fiber-rich whole grain that absorbs surrounding flavors beautifully during the long bake, making it ideal for oven dishes like this one.
- Mushrooms are a natural umami powerhouse — slicing them allows maximum surface area to caramelize during the sauté, deepening the overall savory flavor of the dish.
- Using a Dutch oven is key here: its thick walls and tight-fitting lid trap steam perfectly, ensuring the barley cooks evenly and absorbs all that flavorful broth without drying out.
- Fresh parsley added at the end isn't just garnish — it provides a bright, herbaceous contrast that lifts the richness of the butter and mushrooms.
- Vegetable broth is the backbone of flavor in this dish; choose a low-sodium variety so you can control the salt level after baking as the recipe suggests.
Key Nutritional Insights:
- Pearl barley is one of the most fiber-rich grains available, with a single serving providing a meaningful portion of your daily fiber needs to support digestive health.
- Mushrooms are one of the few non-animal food sources of vitamin D and also contribute B vitamins including riboflavin and niacin to this dish.
- Barley has a low glycemic index compared to many other grains, meaning it digests more slowly and helps maintain steadier blood sugar levels after eating.
- The butter in this recipe provides fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K alongside its rich flavor, though those watching saturated fat intake can substitute olive oil.
- This dish is naturally cholesterol-conscious when considering its plant-forward ingredients, and provides a good balance of complex carbohydrates and plant-based protein per serving.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size1
- Amount per serving
- Calories320
- Standard DV% Daily Value*
- Total Fat13 g72 g18.06%
- Saturated Fat8 g20 g40%
- Trans Fat0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat3 g
- Cholesterol30 mg300 mg10%
- Sodium420 mg2300 mg18.26%
- Total Carbohydrate44 g275 g16%
- Dietary Fiber8 g28 g28.57%
- Total Sugars2 g
- Added Sugars0 g50 g0%
- Sugar Alcohal0 g
- Protein8 g50 g16%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)120 mcg20 mcg600%
- Calcium28 mg1300 mg2.15%
- Iron2 mg18 mg11.11%
- Potassium420 mg4700 mg8.94%
- Vitamin A420 mcg900 mcg46.67%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)3 mg90 mg3.33%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)1 mg15 mg6.67%
- Vitamin K18 mcg120 mcg15%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.2 mg1.2 mg16.67%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.3 mg1.3 mg23.08%
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)4 mg16 mg25%
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)0.2 mg1.7 mg11.76%
- Folate25 mcg400 mcg6.25%
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0 mcg2.4 mcg0%
- Biotin4 mcg30 mcg13.33%
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)1.2 mg5 mg24%
- Choline30 mg550 mg5.45%
- Phosphorus180 mg1250 mg14.4%
- Iodine2 mcg150 mcg1.33%
- Magnesium45 mg420 mg10.71%
- Zinc1.5 mg11 mg13.64%
- Selenium12 mcg55 mcg21.82%
- Copper0.3 mg0.9 mg33.33%
- Manganese1.2 mg2.3 mg52.17%
- Chromium2 mcg35 mcg5.71%
- Molybdenum8 mcg45 mcg17.78%
- Chloride80 mg2300 mg3.48%
