Baked Barley with Mushrooms
Is it autumn yet? I mean, pumpkin flavored stuff is already everywhere, so I’m just gonna go ahead and start making some more fall-like recipes.
This is a recipe that my mom used to make, but with my own spin on the formula. The formula itself is simple: cook barley in broth to make it super yummy. Baking it in the oven means you don’t have to babysit a pot on the stove and adding mushrooms gives it extra umami-oomph. These chewy little morsels are delicious, fun to eat, and very filling. I’ve set the servings to 6 for this recipe, which is about 1/2 cup each because it’s just that filling (the recipe makes 3 cups total).
The changes I made from my mom’s version are as follows: fresh mushrooms instead of canned, because canned mushrooms are just sad. Vegetable broth instead of chicken to keep it vegetarian, a dash of thyme because thyme and mushrooms are made for each other, and a handful of fresh parsley at the end for a pop of color and a little freshness.
You can also try sautéing a chopped carrot along with the mushrooms, adding a chopped onion, or even some beans. This recipe is very flexible and just waiting for your experimentation!
I used my cast iron dutch oven, but any casserole dish with a lid will work. If your casserole dish is not safe for use on a stove top, simply sauté in a skillet first, then transfer everything to a covered casserole dish before baking.
Baked Barley with Mushrooms
Baked Barley with Mushrooms
This Baked Barley with Mushrooms is a "set it and forget it" side dish that is bursting with flavor and ultra filling.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter $0.45
- 2 cloves garlic $0.16
- 8 oz button mushrooms $1.99
- 1 cup pearled barley $1.07
- 2 cups vegetable broth* $0.26
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme $0.05
- handful fresh parsley (optional) $0.25
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mince the garlic and add it to the bottom of a dutch oven along with the butter. Cook on the stove top over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic has softened.
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Meanwhile, rinse and slice the mushrooms. Add the sliced mushrooms to the dutch oven and continue to cook until the mushrooms have softened and turned a dark taupe color.
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Add the barley, vegetable broth, and thyme to the dutch oven. Stir to combine, place the lid on top, and transfer to the preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for one hour.
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After one hour, stir the barley to fluff it up. Roughly chop a handful of fresh parsley and stir it into the barley before serving.
Recipe Notes
A dutch oven is a covered casserole dish that is also safe for use on the stove top. If you don't have a dutch oven, simply sauté in a skillet first, then transfer to a casserole dish with a lid before baking.
*I use Better Than Bouillon brand vegetable base to make my broth. It's less expensive than canned or boxed broths.
Step by Step Photos
First preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mince the garlic and add it to the dutch oven along with the butter. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, or until the garlic becomes soft and fragrant.
Meanwhile, start slicing the mushrooms and adding them to the dutch oven. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are soft and dark taupe in color (the picture is just after adding the mushrooms, before the have fully cooked).
This is “pearled” barley. You can usually find it by the dry rice and beans, or in the bulk food bins. Pearled barley has had the hull removed, so it cooks a little faster (although it still takes quite a while).
Once the mushrooms have cooked, add the barley, broth, and thyme. Stir everything to combine. Place the lid on the dutch oven, then transfer to the preheated oven and bake for one hour.
After one hour it looks like this – all compact, so you’ll want to fluff it up some.
See, all fluffed.
If you want, you can add a handful of roughly chopped parsley to finish it off (if you’re not a parsley person, don’t worry. It will still be great).
So easy. So filling.
Yes please.
This is the best side dish I have ever made. It was so simple to do. I didn’t have a Dutch oven so followed the alternate way in my Corning ware dish and it turned out perfect beyond imagination. It tastes like a mushroom risotto without there cheese and cream etc. The barley cooked up perfectly. Follow the measurements as outlined in this recipe and you fsnt go wrong. I used Italian parsley and stired it in at the end. I also Browned the butter garlic mixture slightly and added salt pepper and onion powder before adding the mushrooms. Beyond!! Can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!!! Ps. I never write reviews lol.
This has become one of our favorites! But we don’t find it quite as filling as you do. Even when served with salad and bread, we usually most of it between 2 people (and we’re not normally big eaters). So I plan on it making 3 servings as a main course, and sometimes we finish off the whole thing.
I made this dish to take to a church potluck. I had some pearl barley & mushrooms & couldn’t decide what to make. Then I remembered that I had recipe but couldn’t find it, so I searched the Internet & found your version. Instead of vegetable broth I made two cups of broth using McKay’s beef seasoning – a vegan product that makes a beef flavored broth. I also used a vegan butter & threw some dried parsley in with the thyme because I didn’t have fresh. I didn’t see the dish as I got my food & thought that it had either been eaten or forgotten in the oven. I found it in the microwave, but someone wanted to try it, then two more tried some, & it got great reviews. I shared your website with a friend who’s planning on making it next weekend. I plan on making this often. It’s so easy & delicious! Thank you!
My family has pretty much the same recipe but i couldnt figure out the spice in it so i used thtme like this one said it made the whole thing taste musty and old it was terrible…. my family does dried basil much better of a flavour.
It has been a few years since I’ve made this, and I’ve acquired an Instant Pot in the interim. Tonight I made it in my IP , no real adapting needed to the recipe, other than to cook 25 minutes at high pressure and allow a 10 minute natural pressure release instead of over an hour in the oven. So good and faster than in the oven!
This is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had. I’ve never cooked with barley outside of beef and barley soup, and my boyfriend still thinks that any grain that isn’t rice is hippie, but it turned out wonderfully and he keeps asking me about it over a month later. Can’t wait to make it again!
I don’t know what I did wrong but it is like soup. I followed all the directions even bought the pearled barley. Any advice? I was super excited and it smells terrific!
Hmm, it sounds like it didn’t heat properly for some reason. It should be simmering while it’s in the oven, at which point the barley will start to absorb the liquid (kind of like when you cook rice).
Some days I really “hate/love” you. I made this today and can’t stop eating it. It is so yummy. Definitely going to be a new staple in our home. Happy 2015!
Hahahah that comment made me chuckle. :)