Roasted beets and butternut squash make this a hearty and healthy winter barley bowl.
Ingredients
1 cup
Pearl barley, dry
3 cup
Vegetable stock/broth, low sodium
1 avocado(s)
Avocado
(large ripe; peeled and cubed)
1/2 cup
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
(shelled roasted)
1 small squash
Butternut squash
(peeled and cubed)
2 beet(s)
Beets, raw
(small; peeled and cubed)
1 tbsp
Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
(divided)
1/3 tsp
Turmeric, ground
(divided)
1/4 tsp
Salt and pepper
(or to taste)
2 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil
(for the garlic spinach)
3 clove(s)
Garlic
(thinly sliced)
1/3 tsp
Salt
(tsp)
454 gm
Baby spinach
(washed and dried)
Instructions
Cook the barley:
Rinse the pearl barley well. Combine the barley and water or broth in a saucepan with a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover the pan, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally about 25 minutes. Add more liquid during cooking if needed, and drain any excess liquid after cooking is complete.
Cook the roasted vegetables:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two baking sheets or baking dishes. Add the cubed beets to one sheet and the cubed butternut squash to the other sheet. Divide the olive oil and ground turmeric approximately equally between them and sprinkle both generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to evenly massage the oil mixture onto the veggies.
Roast both trays of veggies in the oven until tender, swapping their oven position after about 15-20 minutes. The butternut squash may be done in 25-35 minutes, while the beets may be done in 35-45 minutes. Your results may vary.
Cook the garlic spinach:
Note: it's best to cook the spinach when the other bowl components are already completed. Make sure your spinach is very dry. Use a salad spinner if you have one.
Heat a wok or your widest skillet over high heat. Give it a few minutes to really get hot. Add the oil to the pan and swirl it around to make an even coating. Add the garlic and salt, and cook it for about 30 seconds while stirring constantly.
Add all of the spinach to the pan, and continuously stir to mix it with the oil and garlic. Continue to stir-fry just until the spinach has wilted but is still green. Remove it from the pan right away.
Assemble the roasted winter vegetable barley bowls:
Divide the barley among 4 bowls. To each bowl, add about a quarter of the roasted vegetables and garlic spinach. Then add 1/4 of the avocado, 2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds, and finally, drizzle with your favorite vinagrette. Serve warm.
Notes:
Top with the honey balsamic vinaigrette on today's meal plan or another of your favorite salad dressings.
Another simple option is to whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and honey in a small bowl and pour on top to coat.
If you want to use the black garlic vinaigrette that goes with the original recipe you may find it on the Yup, It's Vegan website. I opted to go for a recipe using more common ingredients.
