Slow-cooked tomato and fennel stew with pearl barley
Pearl barley is seriously underrated. It makes a wonderful base for a stew and pairs well with the fennel and cannellini beans. This dish makes a lovely and light dinner.
Each serving provides 496 kcal, 16g protein, 58g carbohydrates (of which 9g sugars), 18.5g fat (of which 2.5g saturates), 16g fibre and 2.5g salt.
Ingredients
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú pearl barley, rinsed
- 400ml/14fl oz vegetable stock
- 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 600g/1lb 5oz fennel, finely chopped
- 100g/3½oz black olives, stones removed, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 8 large tomatoes on the vine
For the basil and pine nut dressing
- 30g/1oz fresh basil, very finely chopped
- 2½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp lemon juice, plus extra if needed
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú pine nuts, roughly chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place the pearl barley, stock, cannellini beans, fennel, olives, garlic, bay leaves and oil in a casserole dish or small, deep roasting tin and stir to combine. Place the tomatoes on top, cover tightly with kitchen foil or a lid and cook for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, to make the basil and pine nut dressing, mix together the basil, oil, pinch sea salt, lemon juice and pine nuts in a small bowl. Set aside.
Leave the stew to stand for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the tomatoes on to a separate plate then stir through half of the dressing into the stew. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice, if needed. Return the tomatoes to the dish.
Drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve immediately.