Barley Risotto with Fennel

From EatingWell: January/February 2008 — Subscribe Now!

This convenient alternative to traditional stovetop risotto uses healthy, fiber-rich whole grains—either barley or brown rice—seasoned with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and oil-cured olives. The gentle, uniform heat of a slow cooker allows you to cook a creamy risotto without the usual frequent stirring.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I have cooked this twice. I have learned that it takes at least 6 hours in a slow cooker (on high or low). The second time I eliminated the cup of water and also withheld one cup of broth. I added it in as needed. I skipped the fennel...

Comments

Comment	Posted
As some others have said, I wish I'd noticed and read the comments first. Was still like soup after 3 and 1/2 hours in the crock pot on low. Cranked it up to high for another 3 hours until it somewhat resembled what a Risotto should be. When it was done it did not taste that great, kind of bland and pasty, and the fennel is overpowering. Needed a lot of salt and pepper. I might try again and dial back the fennel and use leave the 1 cup of water out. Didn't work great for me, but I'm glad some others were pleased. Jeff, Baltimore, MD	8 weeks 3 days ago
I should've read the comments before making this. The fennel is overpowering. The consistency was thing soup. Mel	8 weeks 3 days ago
Nasty experiment. Would never make again. Not "creamy" at all -- just gloopy. And the taste didn't make up for the weird texture. Dawn, NY, NY	8 weeks 3 days ago
I have cooked this twice. I have learned that it takes at least 6 hours in a slow cooker (on high or low). The second time I eliminated the cup of water and also withheld one cup of broth. I added it in as needed. I skipped the fennel seeds each time and I used 1/2 of a large fennel. I liked the mild fennel flavor. I also skipped the green beans because each time I needed to cook it ahead and couldn't deal with this step. With my changes this will be a part of my repertoire for parties. Goleta Cook, Goleta, CA	8 weeks 3 days ago
Have to agree: took 4.5 hours in the slow cooker before it was done. End result: strange-flavored glop. Not worth the effort. Subscriber, Atlanta, GA	8 weeks 3 days ago
Mine came out fine after 4 hours on high, just the right consistency. However, BEWARE if you are not a huge fennel fan - this dish is overpowered by the fennel flavor. I could barely eat it, and my husband, who really likes the flavor of liquorice (which is what fennel and fennel seed taste like) couldn't finish his whole serving. Maybe omitting the fennel seed would bring it down a notch or two, but I probably won't make it again. I did like the idea of using barley for a risotto, though, so I might use this as a base with other vegetables. AR, Hamden, CT	8 weeks 3 days ago
I made this and it was liquidy soup after 4 hours on high in the slow cooker. It also tasted awful. I threw out the leftovers. Amy Spiegel, Santa Monica, CA	8 weeks 3 days ago
I agree slow-cooking for 4 hours on low does not work for this recipe. However, on high works great! You can also cook it on the stove by simmering for 45 minutes. My family loved it! Add a piece of grilled fish on top, and it is a wonderful meal! Brooke, New York, NY	8 weeks 3 days ago
This worked GREAT for us! We did have to do it on high for about 4 hours, but the barely puffed up and it was wonderfully chewy. We added whatever veggies we had along with beans...peas and corn, and even the kids loved it. A definite keeper. Slow Cooker Fan	8 weeks 3 days ago
This recipe does not work. Five hours in the slow cooker and it's thin soup. Very frustrating. Subscriber, Evanston, IL	8 weeks 3 days ago