Roast carrots and sprouts with lemony barley
Autumn vegetables roasted until the edges catch, tossed with pearl barley, lemon and a little hard cheese.
In autumn and winter, carrots and Brussels sprouts are often among the lower-priced vegetables per kilo. For these roast carrots and sprouts with lemony barley, they are roasted hard and tossed with pearl barley, lemon and a little hard cheese to make a warm, filling dinner.
Pearl barley keeps for months in the cupboard and has a pleasant chew. If you don't have any, rice, bulgur or small pasta shapes work in the same way.
Ingredients for the roast carrots and lemony barley
- 150 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 500 g carrots, halved lengthways or cut into batons
- 400 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp honey or sugar (optional)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- A handful of parsley, chopped (optional)
- 50 g hard cheese, grated or shaved
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan, gas 7). Simmer the barley in a pan of salted water for 30 to 35 minutes until tender, then drain.
- Toss the carrots and sprouts with 2 tbsp of the oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them on a large tray, cut sides down, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until browned. If using honey, drizzle it over the carrots for the last 5 minutes.
- Whisk the remaining oil with the lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Toss the warm barley with the dressing, then fold in the roast vegetables and parsley.
- Scatter the cheese over the top and serve warm.
Budget swaps
- Sprouts out of season? Wedges of cabbage or broccoli florets roast just as well.
- A store-label hard cheese or the end of a mature cheddar works in place of parmesan.
- Barley, rice or bulgur: use whichever grain is already open in the cupboard.
- Bottled lemon juice is fine for the dressing; the zest needs a fresh lemon, so skip it if you don't have one.
Storage and leftovers
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge and is good cold in a lunch box; add the cheese when you serve it. Cooked barley freezes well, so it is worth cooking a double quantity and freezing half in portions for soups such as the vegetable-drawer soup or the white bean and greens stew.
