A savoury bowl of curried pearl barley with lentils and peas, resulting in a flavoursome nourishing meal.
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A couple of months ago, Eddie and I went camping with a couple of our mates.
It was the first time in a couple of years we had been camping.
I love the back-to-basics and being so close to nature.
In my (limited) experience with camping, I have found it to bring people closer together - technology is limited and there tends to be more human interaction.
I adore playing games around a camp-fire, making simple good food every day and waking in the morning to the great outdoors.
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During this last camp trip, Eddie and I arrived late in the evening, so our friends graciously cooked dinner, not knowing I had made my famous Lebanese rice vegan recipe.
They had made us a lovely curried pearl barley porridge. Needless to say, we all happily ate both the rice and porridge. Side note, check this way of foil cooking (though not plant based) for campfire cooking.
It had been years since I last had a porridge made with barley, and so guess what - it’s now back on the menu.
I wanted to share my version of this curried barley recipe, I know you’re going to love it, not only for the taste, but also because it’s a one pot recipe!
This barley recipe is vegan friendly. Just a note for those who are gluten-free, barley does naturally contain gluten. For a grain that is gluten free check out how to cook buckwheat.
The kids love to eat this savoury porridge with shredded chicken, which I normally cook the chicken separately and then at the end, stir it through their portions.
🥘Ingredients
Pearl barley - this can easily be purchased at your local supermarket
Red lentils
Peas (frozen)
Brown onion - diced
Curry powder - I prefer to use Keens curry powder*
Vegetable stock - I prefer to use Massel* it's gluten free and plant based.
Olive Oil - Opt for extra virgin olive oil
Water - to add at the end (optional)
🔪Cooking Instructions
Step 1 - In a tall pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add onion and sweat
Step 2 - Add red lentils, pearl barley, vegetable stock and curry powder. Stir contents, cover and bring to the boil. Turn heat to low-med and allow to simmer for about 40 minutes.
Step 3 - Stir through frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes or until pearl barley is completely soft.
Step 4 - Serve warm
📝Recipe Notes
Whilst simmering, stir the porridge every five minutes or so, bringing up the bottom to the top
Optional - to thin the porridge out at the end, add one cup of water and stir through
Pearl barley will double in size when cooked, so this recipe will feed around 6 people with some left-overs
The contents of this curry porridge will naturally soften during cooking and fall apart, no blending is needed
💭Recipe Tips
Use a heavy based pot, as a thin pot will burn the contents
This barley porridge curry can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
🥄Serving Suggestions
Pair this barley recipe with a simple salad such as Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad or some pickles such as my Pickled Vegetables.
🗒️Recipe variations
Omit peas altogether
Add diced carrot instead of peas
Or you can add frozen vegetable trio - peas, carrot and corn
Try some small pieces of cubed firm tofu
❓FAQ
Barley is a whole grain, generally hulled to remove the indigestible outer husk, whilst pearl barley is processed by polishing (pearling) the outer bran layer. Pearl barley is more commonly found in supermarkets.
No, pearl barley will cook easily. It doesn’t require soaking to soften as it has been pearled removing the outer later. Whole grain barley, is the variety that requires soaking.
In Australia, pearl barley can be found at any supermarket or local grocer. Otherwise it can be purchased online via Amazon*.
🔖Other One Pot Recipes
- Another delicious savoury porridge you must try is my Lebanese lentil porridge
- Foul Akhdar Bi Zeit vegan green broad beans in extra virgin olive oil
- Heres’s a fragrant yellow split pea dahl curry recipe
📖 Recipe
Curried Barley Porridge (Easy & Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearl barley
- 2 cups Red lentils
- 1 cup Frozen peas
- 1 medium Brown Onion diced
- 8 cups Vegetable stock
- 1½ tablespoon Curry powder
Instructions
- In a tall pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add onion and sweat
- Add red lentils, pearl barley, vegetable stock and curry powder. Stir contents, cover and bring to the boil. Turn heat to low-med, once boiling and allow to simmer for about 40 minutes
- Stir through frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes or until pearl barley is completely soft
- Serve warm
Video
Notes
- Whilst simmering, stir the porridge every five minutes or so, bringing up the bottom to the top
- Optional - to thin the porridge out at the end, add one cup of water and stir through
- Pearl barley will double in size when cooked
- The contents of this curry porridge will naturally soften and fall apart, no blending is needed
Eddie
For a simple meal, this was tasty. I made it with peas and had two servings. Recommended
plantbasedfolk
Thank you kindly! 🙂