Hearty, easy roasted vegetables on a bed of nutty barley is a great cold-weather supper.
I love a good veggie roast. It’s my go-to recipe for feeding omnivore friends and family. With a side of mashed potatoes or hearty grains, these easy roasted vegetables make a satisfying meal that’s pretty crowd-pleasing.
Normally, I like to serve my roasted vegetables over mashed potatoes or rice, but I decided to mix things up and use barley this go-round. The veggies and marinade are the stars of this dish, and the barley is the perfect supporting grain.
Barley is not only a delicious base for roasted vegetables, it’s super nutritious. It’s got lots of iron and fiber, and a one-cup serving even has four grams of protein.
Related: 10 Delicious Vegan Protein Sources + Recipes
How to Cook Barley
You can make barley on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in a pressure cooker.
- How to cook barley on the stove: Combine 1 cup barley with 2 1/2 cups water or broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer, covered, for 40-50 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
- How to cook barley in your rice cooker: Combine 1 cup barley with 2 1/2 cups water or broth in your rice cooker. Turn it on. When it clicks, it’s done.
- How to cook barley in your pressure cooker: Combine 1 cup barley with 3 cups water or broth in your pressure cooker. Turn on manual mode, and set the timer to 25 minutes. Let the pressure come down for 10 minutes, then release manually.
Easy Roasted Vegetables with Barley
Ingredients
- 3 cups barley - See instructions above., cooked, preferably with vegetable broth instead of water
- 1 small eggplant - cut into 1? pieces
- 1/2 head garlic - in cloves
- 1 small butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1? pieces
- 1 pint shiitake mushrooms - no need to halve any extra small ones from the bunch, halved
- 1 large bunch of scallions - green and white parts, chopped
- 3/4 cup of your favorite vinaigrette - I highly recommend Annie’s Shiitake Mushroom Vinaigrette!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Toss the eggplant, garlic, squash, mushrooms, and scallions with 1/2 cup of the dressing, and roast for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. The roasted vegetables are done when the squash is fork-tender.
- Now that everything is ready, you have two options!
- Option 1: Toss together the barley, veggies, and the rest of the dressing in a large serving bowl. Serve warm or chilled. Your choice!
- Option 2: Top the warm barley with the roasted vegetables, and drizzle the dressing on top of each bowl.
Nutrition
Lucie
I’ve only ever cooked spelt berries and whole oats but barley sounds perfect for this season! I need to give it a try.
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
I love the look of these bowls, and thanks for the little barley 101 lesson too! It sounds just as easy as brown rice to cook, and the extra iron boost is awesome! I’m always looking for more iron rich vegan foods 🙂
Becky Striepe
It really is! Especially with a rice or pressure cooker.
Cadry
Looks great, Becky! Barley doesn’t get nearly enough love. It has such a great chewiness, and I especially love it in soups.
Becky Striepe
I agree! It has a really nice texture.
The Vegan 8
This is just a perfect, filling, healthy dish! Love the ingredients. I cooked barley once before and my picky hubby didn’t care for it, but that’s ok, more for me!! Haha!
Becky Striepe
My picky hubby liked it, but my picky toddler did NOT like it. I’m going to try again, though. His tastes change by the minute.
Jenn
Yum! I love veggie and grains bowls. So easy and so delicious!
Harriet Emily
I definitely don’t cook with barley enough at home. This post has inspired me to cook some for my dinner tonight, your recipe looks delicious! <3
Jes
Barley and veggies are so good! I can’t believe it’s going to be 70 degrees in a day or two, so weird!
Becky
Right? So spooky. There was still snow on some folks’ roofs last night from Sunday!