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A plate of barley pilaf tossed with baby artichokes, tomatoes and spring peas, with a bowl of the pilaf in the background.
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Barley Pilaf with Artichokes, Peas and Mint Pesto

The prep required for this recipe is almost entirely done while the barley cooks.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Vegetarian Main Dish
Cuisine: Any
Keyword: barley pilaf with artichokes
Servings: 4
Calories: 688.2kcal
Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

Barley Pilaf

  • 1 cup pearled barley grain
  • 3 cups vegetable broth or water
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 12 marinated artichokes in a jar
  • ½ cup frozen green peas
  • ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
  • Mint Pesto recipe below

Mint Pesto

  • ½ cup mint leaves well packed
  • ½ cup Italian parsley well packed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan-style cheese
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil or enough to create the consistency you like

Optional Topping

  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan-style cheese optional

Instructions

  • Cook the barley. Rinse the barley, and bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a small pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and add the barley grain.
    Cover the pot, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
    Pro-tip: Check out this post on how to cook barley for detailed instructions.
  • Sauté. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet, and add the marinated artichoke hearts and frozen peas. Sauté until the artichokes are hot and the peas are tender.
    Add the tomatoes and sauté for another few minutes.
  • Make the Mint Pesto. Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or a mini chopper. Pulse several times to chop the herbs and pine nuts. Drizzle the olive oil through the shoot while whirling the blade like crazy.
    If using a mini-chopper, add half of the olive oil, pulse several times, add the remaining olive oil, pulse until you have pesto!
  • Toss. Combine the artichokes, peas, and tomatoes with the barley, and add the amount of pesto desired. Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and sherry wine vinegar, and gently toss.
  • Serve. Serve warm with optional Parmesan cheese on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 688.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.3g | Protein: 9.7g | Fat: 48.9g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24.7g | Cholesterol: 3.3mg | Sodium: 1857mg | Potassium: 352.2mg | Fiber: 12.5g | Sugar: 5.1g | Vitamin A: 2812.8IU | Vitamin C: 53.6mg | Calcium: 108.9mg | Iron: 3.9mg