Pearl Barley with Spinach & Wild Mushrooms

Pearl Barley With Spinach & Wild Mushrooms

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Ingredients:

2 ½ Cups Vegetable Stock

¾ Cup uncooked pearl barley

½ Cup POOC Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar

1/3 Cup POOC Wild Mushroom & Sage infused olive oil

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Coarse Salt and Ground Black Pepper

2 cups fresh wild mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

2 cups baby spinach, large stems removed

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

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Instructions:

1. Fill a saucepan with vegetable stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Rinse the barley well in a fine mesh strainer, add it to the boiling stock, and turn the heat down to low, stirring once to be sure the barley isn’t sticking. Let the barley simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.

2. In a small bowl, place the balsamic, olive oil, Dijon, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until emulsified into a dressing.

3. In a large frying pan set off the heat, toss the mushrooms with half the dressing. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until tender and most of the dressing has evaporated, about 15 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, fluff the cooked barley with the remaining dressing.

5. Toss the spinach in with the mushrooms to heat and wilt only slightly, then add to barley.

6. Top with crumbled goat cheese before serving.

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