Barlotto, aka Barley Risotto

V DF VG NF SF Apr 3, 2026

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Instead of white arborio rice, I'm making a risotto inspired dish using barley instead. Being a whole grain, barley is much higher in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein compared to standard white rice.

This barlotto is also vegetarian (depending on your broth), dairy free, and stirring free. What does that mean? It means you won't have to labor over a pot of risotto, stirring continuously for an hour. Instead, you use your slow cooker to make the barley creamy. Just check back after work, and you're good to go for this side dish! For another risotto hybrid dish, check out my Butternut Squash RisOATto or Brown Rice Congee Base.

- 1 lb (454 g) Barley
- 3 cup (720 g) Broth
- 2 tbsp (10 g) Nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp (3 g) Black pepper, ground

1. The night before, soak your barley in 5 cups (1,200 g) water with 1 tbsp (18 g) salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight

2. In the morning, discard the soaking liquid. Add the soaked barley to a slow cooker with broth, nutritional yeast, and black pepper

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally

https://www.poormanprotein.com/recipes/barlotto

Servings: 9
3/4 cup cooked (140 g)
Calories: 199
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 40 g
Fiber: 8 g

Description

Instead of white arborio rice, I'm making a risotto inspired dish using barley instead. Being a whole grain, barley is much higher in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein compared to standard white rice.

This barlotto is also vegetarian (depending on your broth), dairy free, and stirring free. What does that mean? It means you won't have to labor over a pot of risotto, stirring continuously for an hour. Instead, you use your slow cooker to make the barley creamy. Just check back after work, and you're good to go for this side dish! For another risotto hybrid dish, check out my Butternut Squash RisOATto or Brown Rice Congee Base.

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Cost

Total Cost:

Cost per Serving:

$0.33

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Ingredients

Serving(s)

1 lb Barley
3 cup Broth
2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 tsp Black pepper, ground

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Instructions

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1. The night before, soak your barley in 5 cups (1,200 g) water with 1 tbsp (18 g) salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight
2. In the morning, discard the soaking liquid. Add the soaked barley to a slow cooker with broth, nutritional yeast, and black pepper
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring occasionally

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Notes

1. Alternatively, instead of broth, you can use 1 tbsp (18 g) better than bouillon, 1 tbsp (12 g) bouillon powder, or 3 pieces (12 g) of bouillon cubes, plus the same amount (3 cups, 720 g) of water

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Nutrition Facts

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Servings: 9

Serving Size: 3/4 cup cooked (140 g)

Calories: 199

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Total Fat: 1.2g (2 %)

Saturated Fat: 0.3g (2 %)

Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g

Cholesterol: 3mg (1 %)

Sodium: 174mg (8 %)

Total Carbohydrate: 40.4g (15 %)

Fiber: 8.2g (29 %)

Net Carbs: 32.2g

Total Sugar: 1.0g

Protein: 8.2g (16 %)

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Vitamin B12: 4.36mcg (182 %)

Vitamin D: 0.0mcg (0 %)

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Calcium: 31mg (2 %)

Iron: 1.76mg (10 %)

Magnesium: 46mg (11 %)

Potassium: 271mg (6 %)

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Glycemic Index

:

34.1

Glycemic Load

:

13.8

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Sources of Inspiration

https://www.poormanprotein.com/recipes/slow-cooked-beans

https://thefeedfeed.com/ChefRudakova/barlotto-aka-barley-risotto

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