Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow
Sep. 21st, 2026 10:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Barley Porridge.
1 cup pearled barley
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
(further toppings)
Combine barley, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain. Add milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has almost all been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Divide barley between two bowls. Top with walnuts, a generous drizzle of cream, and chopped fruit if desired.
What worked: Similar to my standard CultPot steel-cut oatmeal, but toothier. It reheated decently in the office microwave as a work breakfast. (I did like it a bit better as a savory dish with chopped green onion and a bit of soy sauce and miso paste than as a sweet dish with cinnamon, brown sugar, and frozen berries.)
What didn't: The barley absorbed all of the water in 40 minutes, and was starting to stick to the bottom of the pan. I closed the lid and let the residual steam unstick it. It then absorbed the milk without any cooking. I added 1/4 cup additional milk and it absorbed that too.
The texture was, well, cooked barley rather than a broken-down grain porridge that I envisioned. Also, I suspected that this would make four servings rather than two (and I was right).
Will I make it again? More than likely. I might try it in the CultPot (For Science!) and see if that breaks it down any further, although I might need to use a blender if I want it fully broken down. It's at least something in the oatmeal universe that isn't oatmeal.
1 cup pearled barley
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
(further toppings)
Combine barley, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain. Add milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has almost all been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Divide barley between two bowls. Top with walnuts, a generous drizzle of cream, and chopped fruit if desired.
What worked: Similar to my standard CultPot steel-cut oatmeal, but toothier. It reheated decently in the office microwave as a work breakfast. (I did like it a bit better as a savory dish with chopped green onion and a bit of soy sauce and miso paste than as a sweet dish with cinnamon, brown sugar, and frozen berries.)
What didn't: The barley absorbed all of the water in 40 minutes, and was starting to stick to the bottom of the pan. I closed the lid and let the residual steam unstick it. It then absorbed the milk without any cooking. I added 1/4 cup additional milk and it absorbed that too.
The texture was, well, cooked barley rather than a broken-down grain porridge that I envisioned. Also, I suspected that this would make four servings rather than two (and I was right).
Will I make it again? More than likely. I might try it in the CultPot (For Science!) and see if that breaks it down any further, although I might need to use a blender if I want it fully broken down. It's at least something in the oatmeal universe that isn't oatmeal.
