Barley With Mushrooms and Green Beans

This dish, with hearty mushrooms and a soupy sauce, is a great way to get whole grain into your diet. It would make a fabulous side dish for a roast beef or roasted chicken. If olive oil is substituted for the butter, this will be vegan. Adapted from a recipe by Aida Mollencamp. http://bit.ly/fAC307

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 1  cup pearl barley
• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter or 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped red onion
•  salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 12  ounces button mushrooms or 12  ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed then sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 12  ounces green beans, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias
• 2  cups  mushroom broth
• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

1. Bring 1 qt water and 2 tbsp kosher salt to a boil in a medium pot. Add barley and cook 15-20 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring only occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add wine and scrape up any fond (browned bits) stuck to bottom of pan.
3. Add green beans and mushroom broth. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are fork-tender, 5-8 minutes. Add cooked barley and stir until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Add remaining butter, parsley and more salt and pepper if needed. Stir well and serve.