Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta

This was delicious and satisfying as all homey comfort food should be.

Despite its name, it’s not nearly as demanding as a traditional risotto: after the aromatics are sautéed, the rest of the ingredients are added and simmered slowly, requiring only an occasional stir. I didn’t have the correct sizes/types of canned tomatoes called for so I mashed 1-796ml can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, used 400g with liquid for the chopped tomatoes and used the sieved liquid from the remainder in place of the passata (it was slightly less than required).

The flavours of the aromatics, herbs and spices melded together beautifully in the dish; if there was 1 spice flavour that really popped, it was the toasted caraway in the feta marinade so if you don’t care for it, I would recommend replacing it with something else. I didn’t have fresh oregano so added dry to the marinade.

Serves 4 as a vegetarian main.