Beet barley risotto with wilted beet greens

This is not made the way a traditional risotto is made. You won’t be stirring and slowly adding liquid as it cooks. It actually comes together very quickly after the beets and barley are cooked.

The barley will take two hours to cook. It maybe a good idea to cook and drain the barley the day before you want to make this risotto. You could cook the beets ahead too.

1 cup hulled barley, soaked overnight

2 medium to large red beets with greens

1 medium yellow beet with greens

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

1 large red onion, cut in a small dice

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Good extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Drain and rinse barley and place it in a medium size pot. Cover with 3 inches of filtered water and bring to a boil over high heat.Lover heat, cover and simmer for two hours, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent the barley from sticking to the pot as it cooks. Once barley is creamy and tender, drain, reserving cooking liquid. Set aside.

Cut greens off the beets, leaving about an inch of stems attached. Wash the greens and set aside. Place red beets in pot and the yellow beet in another, cover each pot with filtered water and bring to a boil over high heat, lower and simmer until beets are tender. Add more water as needed (partially cover pot with a lid if you like). Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the beets, test them with a skewer. Once they are cooked, drain and slip off the skins and stems under cold running water.

Set the yellow beet and one red beet (the smallest) aside to cool. Place the other red beet in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, use a spatula to scrap down the sides and blend again.  Remove from food processor and set aside.

Slice remaining red and yellow beet; use a cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes, set-aside until your ready to serve the risotto.

Warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to brown. Lower heat and stir in garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes longer or until the garlic is browned. Stir in balsamic vinegar and pureed beets.

Add the drained barley and ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium high and stir until mixture is bubbling. Lower heat and simmer, adding more barley cooking liquid or water until you reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon risotto into bowls, top with a red and yellow beet heart and a drizzle of your favorite olive oil. Serve the beet greens on the side. Serves 2 people as a main, 4 people as an appetizer.