Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) whole grain brown rice
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) pearl barley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, 3 cups
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered, 2 cups
- 2 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the rice and barley and cook until al dente, 15 minutes. Drain well.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes (if using) and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onion is tender and beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Stir in the drained rice mixture. Add 2 cups broth, cover and cook until the rice and barley are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the asparagus and mushrooms and continue to cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup broth, cream cheese and Parmesan until melted and creamy. Sprinkle with chives and zest.
Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Nutritional analysis per serving (optional crushed red pepper flakes not included in analysis)
Calories 312; Total Fat 8.8g (Sat Fat 1.2g, Mono Fat 3.3g, Poly Fat 1g) ; Protein 13g; Carb 49g; Fiber 8g; Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 194mg
Notes
A combination of barley and brown rice make this a hearty, no-fuss mock risotto. Packed with vegetables and given a little bit of creaminess from reduced fat cream cheese, this is a perfect vegetarian main dish or side dish.
Photo: Mock Risotto Recipe

















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By sdarlow
Wyoming
on April 14, 2013
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I have made this a few times now. The first time I followed the recipe to a tee and found that the rice needed to cook longer than the barley did. Now when I make this I just use barley, no rice at all. I also add a few more seasonings to my taste. This makes a nice, hearty, vegetarian dish that can be changed easily to suit your needs!
By katie.young21
on October 03, 2012
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This recipe turned out perfect and tasted really good! I used all of the broth, but let the dish sit for a few minutes to allow the cheese to thicken the sauce and it was a perfect consistency. The only problem I had, was that the rice and barley turned out a little hard. Next time I will cook them in the water for a little bit longer than the recipe called for so they come out softer, but I will definitely make this one again!
By plutonicgirl
on August 10, 2012
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Tasted great!!! My husband and I loved it!!! I only used 2 cups of broth and 1 1/2 cups of brown rice for the receipe.
Read all 12 reviews