Roasted courgette & herbed pearl barley
Prep
15 mins
Cook
55 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of my favorite weeknight dinners because it comes together in just over an hour and feels genuinely special without any fuss. Roasted courgettes get wonderfully caramelized and sweet when you cook them properly, and the pearl barley is such an underrated grain that keeps you full for ages thanks to its brilliant fiber content. I love how the Vadouvan spice blend brings this warm, exotic flavor that makes the whole dish feel more interesting than the simple ingredients suggest. Fresh dill and chives scattered over the top brighten everything up, and honestly, it's the kind of meal that tastes like you've spent all day cooking when you really haven't.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 2courgettes(cut into chunks)
- 1onion(cut into chunks)
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 tspvadouvan spice blend
- 200 gramspearl barley
- 1 tspsalt
- ¼ tspground black pepper
- 20 gramsdill(chopped)
- 20 gramschives(chopped)
- 1red chilli(chopped)
- ½lemon(juice)
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Put the courgettes and onions in a bowl with the oil, spice blend and a pinch of salt, then mix together well. Thread the courgettes and onions onto 4 skewers
- 2
Meanwhile, boil the kettle. Put the pearl barley into a large pan with 1L boiling water and the salt. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 50-55 minutes, partly covered, stirring occasionally until the barley is soft and the water has been absorbed. Set aside, covered.
- 3
While you wait, start the barbecue. Once hot, put the skewers on top and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through. The courgettes and onions should be charred and cooked through. Once ready, remove them from the skewers and put into a big bowl. Add the cooked barley, black pepper, herbs, chilli and lemon juice, then mix well to serve.
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