Tomato Barley "risotto"

Ingredients

400g cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons olive oil, (+ extra to serve)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

500ml vegetable stock

200g pearl barley

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

1 tablespoon brown rice miso paste

50g basil leaves, roughly chopped (+ extra to garnish

dollop of pesto (to serve, optional)

pinch of sea salt & black pepper

Directions

1. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a frying pan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Then add the garlic, tomato purée and paprika; fry for 1 minute until fragrant.

2. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, pearl barley and chickpeas. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40–45 minutes with the lid on, until the barley is soft with a little bite. Stir in the miso paste, basil and ½ the roasted tomatoes. Season to taste.

3. While that cooks, make the roast tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan and arrange the tomatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar; roast for 10–15 minutes, tossing once, until soft and then set aside.

4. Serve with a swirl of pesto, if you like, and a sprinkling of basil leaves. Top with the remaining roasted tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

From @deliciouslyella on IG