Barley & Vegetable Ragout

To make the toasted barley, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spread barley in a thin layer on a sheet pan. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. In a stockpot over high heat, bring water to boil and add barley. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and drain excess water.

To make the broth, combine vegetable broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch a Tbsp of water. Whisk to make a slurry. Add slurry to broth mixture, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes.

To sauté vegetables, in sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Add carrots, mushrooms and portobello mushrooms and sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion, celery and garlic and sauté an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

To serve, portion 1/2 cup barley in each bowl. Top with sautéed vegetables and diced tomatoes. Pour 1/2 cup broth in bowl. Top with scallions.