If you have always eaten pearl barley served cold in the summer, it’s time to try it warm in the fall! You’ve never tasted it this good! So enough with the usual dishes!!! This will be an alternative vegan style way to vary your table and bring goodness and well-being. In fact, in addition to being based on grains and vegetables, there are also legumes, a source of minerals and vegetable proteins! It will become a must in your kitchen and you’ll make it often, even for your kids, varying the vegetables based on the seasonality!
If you love grain-based recipes for a varied and balanced diet, try these other delicious ideas:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 10.5 oz pearl barley
- 1 large oval black eggplant
- 2 carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 8 oz cooked chickpeas
- 14.1 oz tomato puree (cherry)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 leaves mint
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste chili powder
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Wok
- 1 Lid
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Glass
- 1 Spoon
Preparation
Cook the pearl barley in a pan with plenty of salted water for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, wash the eggplant, peel it, remove the stem and cut it into chunks. Sauté it in a wok with a dash of oil, a clove of garlic, and a little water for 10 minutes with the lid closed until tender.
Drain the eggplants and set them aside. In the same wok, brown a garlic and let the finely chopped onion soften. After 2 minutes, add the carrots cut into brunoise and the chickpeas rinsed under running water and well drained.
Let it flavor for a few minutes, then add the cherry tomato puree.
Add the tomato paste.
Stir and add a glass of water.
At this point, add the stewed eggplants, salt, pepper, close the lid, and let it cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.
Once the barley is cooked, drain it and sauté it with the ragu for another 5 minutes.
Turn off and season with some fresh mint.
Let it cool slightly and plate.
Serve with a drizzle of raw oil.
And voilà… your pearl barley with chickpea and eggplant ragu is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉Pearl barley with eggplant and chickpea ragu can be stored in the fridge in suitable containers for 2-3 days. When serving, you can choose to have it as a cold dish, so I recommend placing it at room temperature a few hours before, otherwise, it can be heated for 2 minutes in the microwave at full power.
