1.25 litres reduced salt vegetable or chicken stock, boiling
150g baby spinach leaves
50g reduced fat cream cheese
80g blue cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Heat oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the onion, garlic and celery for 5 minutes or until softened. Add pumpkin, barley and bay leaf and toss to coat.
Stir in 2-3 ladles of stock and simmer, stirring often, until the stock is almost absorbed.
Continue adding stock 2-3 ladles at a time until nearly all absorbed and barley is tender, this will take about 50 minutes.
Remove bayleaf and stir in spinach until wilted. Remove from heat, stir through cream cheese and 50g of the blue cheese, cover and stand for 10 minutes.
Season and serve immediately, topped with remaining blue cheese.
Tips & Hints
The chewy texture of the barley gives this risotto a suprisingly pleasant difference.
