Barley Risotto with Peas and Asparagus

We all loved the Spring Green Risotto I had made awhile ago.  What I didn't like was that there was not a lot of fibre in the dish.  I had read about making risotto using barley.  It sounded interesting and I always have barley around for making Haleem.  So I gave it a try and it turned out great!  I changed the method for this using a bouillon cube instead of stock.  I found this method at Aurora Importing.  Also, I didn't have all the ingredients so made some substitutions.  Either way it will turn out well.

Barley Risotto with Peas and Asparagus

1 bouillon cube

6-8 cups of water

3 tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

3 leeks, chopped

1 1/2 cup pearled barley

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces, tough stems removed

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp + 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp minced parsley

Boil the water.  Reduce heat to medium-low to keep it warm.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the shallots, garlic and leeks.  Saute 5-7 minutes until  tender.  Add the bouillon cube and stir.  Add barley and stir for 1 minute so that everything is well coated.  Add 1 cup water and stir until most of it has been absorbed.  Continue to add 1/2 cup water at a time, stirring until it has been absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup of water. 

While the barley is being cooked, bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Add asparagus and cook 4-5 minutes or until tender crisp.  Drain and put in a bowl of cold water.

After 15 minutes of cooking the barley, add asparagus and peas.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Continue to add water until barley is cooked through.

Remove from heat.  Add lemon juice, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.