Pearl Barley and Winter Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
250g pearl barley
800g mixed root vegetables, chopped into 2cm chunks (we used parsnips and butternut squash)
100ml dry white wine
1.5 litres vegetable stock
200g sliced kale
Grated zest and juice 1 lemon
60ml crème fraîche
Freshly grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) to serve – optional

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and cook the onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the barley and cook for a few minutes, then stir in the chopped vegetables and fry gently for 5 minutes.

Turn up the heat to high and add the white wine, reduce over the heat for a minute, then pour in the stock. Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes on a low heat.

When the vegetables are tender and the barley is cooked, stir in the kale and lemon zest and juice, then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche and sprinkle with the parmesan, if you like.

This stew works with any mix of veg; you could swap pumpkin for the squash and carrots or sweet potatoes for the parsnips.