Barley Butternut Risotto

I've had a bunch of barley sitting on my shelf for over a month now, and I had no idea what to do with it. I found this recipe online, and bought a huge butternut squash specifically for it. I made a few changes from the recipe, and it turned out really great.

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried

First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.

Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.

When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.

Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto