Baked Barley With Shiitake Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Cooking Light.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons butter
• 4 1⁄2 cups  chopped onions (about 3 medium)
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 3  cups  sliced button mushrooms (about 9 ounces)
• 3  cups  sliced  shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
• 1 1⁄2 cups  uncooked pearl barley
• 1  tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4  cups vegetable broth
•  fresh thyme sprig (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cover and cook 25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently.
2. Add mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour broth over barley mixture; cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until barley is tender.
6. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.