Recipe for: Winter buckwheat and pearl barley risotto with roasted beets, sauerkraut, and dried porcini sauce (vegan version) — variant d77d0dc1 - photo 1
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Recipe for: Winter buckwheat and pearl barley risotto with roasted beets, sauerkraut, and dried porcini sauce (vegan version) — variant d77d0dc1

Pikantne Plant-based cuisine Regional Cuisine of Poland Main Dishes 120 min Medium 11 wyświetleń ~31.68 PLN - (0)
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Description

A flavorful, seasonal plant-based dish that combines two Polish grains — buckwheat and pearl barley — with intensely sweet and earthy roasted beets, slightly tangy and caramelized sauerkraut, and a rich sauce made from dried porcini mushrooms and walnuts. This is a reinterpretation of traditional Polish winter flavors: instead of fatty meat, I propose a layer of textures (creamy risotto, soft beets, crunchy nuts) and contrasts (the sweetness of plums and apples with the acidity of sauerkraut). The dish works wonderfully as a hearty lunch or an elegant main course for a winter family gathering. Visually: the warm brown of the risotto, ruby slices of beet, and green parsley leaves — an appetizing, rustic composition.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (19)

Servings:
4
  • Raw buckwheat groats 240 g
  • Barley groats (pearl barley) 150 g
  • Sauerkraut 400 g
  • Dried porcini mushrooms 30 g
  • Walnuts 80 g
  • Onion 1 szt. (~150 g)
  • Garlic 3 ząbki (~15 g)
  • Dried plums 80 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Apple cider vinegar 15 ml
  • Sugar 20 g
  • Beets (raw) 600 g
  • Apple 1.1 szt. (~200 g)
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Dried marjoram 1 łyżeczka (~2 g)
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt (~3 g)
  • Black pepper 4 szczypty (~2 g)
  • Parsley 1 pęczek (~30 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Fresh forest mushrooms (optional) 200 g
  • Roasted sunflower seeds (optional) 50 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~31.68 PLN (7.92 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Beets

1

Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom). Wash the beets thoroughly with a brush, trim the ends, and wrap each one in aluminum foil (individually or in a bundle). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 45–60 minutes depending on size (check every 10 minutes after 45 minutes). You will know they are ready when a knife or toothpick inserted in the center goes in smoothly — the beet should be as soft as a warm potato.

Ingredients: Beets (raw)
Use protective gloves to remove the hot beets. If you don't have foil, bake in a covered baking dish. Do not peel the beets before baking — the skin will protect the flavor and moisture.
2

After baking, remove the beets and set aside for 10–15 minutes until they are cool enough to touch. Peel off the skin with your fingers or with a small knife — the skin should come off easily. Cut into slices 4–6 mm thick or into cubes, depending on your preference. Set aside 1/3 of the beets for decoration, keep the rest to mix with the risotto.

It's best to use gloves for peeling — they stain your fingers red. Slices look nicer for decoration, while cubes mix better with the groats.

Grains

3

In a large pot, pour in 900 ml of cold water and bring to a boil. Add the pearl barley, reduce the heat, and cook for 10 minutes covered. After 10 minutes, add the buckwheat, stir, and cook together on low heat for another 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pearl barley and buckwheat are soft but still have a slight texture. The mixture should be creamy but with visible grains. If they absorb all the water too early, add 50–100 ml of hot water.

Ingredients: raw buckwheat groats, Barley groats (pearl barley)
Use a wide pot with a lid. If you have a measuring cup, the ratio of water to grains is about 1:3 (grains totaling 390 g to 900 ml of water). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.
4

In a 26–28 cm skillet, heat 15 g (1 tablespoon) of rapeseed oil. Finely chop the onion and sauté over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until it becomes translucent and starts to brown slightly. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30–45 seconds until you can smell the garlic (do not burn). Add the chopped dried plums (if hard, chop finely) and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a pot with the cooked groats and mix thoroughly.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil, Onion, Garlic, Dried plums
Use a wooden spoon or spatula. The translucency of the onion is the moment when it is soft and semi-transparent; it should not be heavily browned (unless you want a deeper, caramel flavor).
5

Add 2/3 of the roasted beets (chopped) to the buckwheat and gently mix — it should create a risotto with an even pink hue. Season with 2 pinches of salt and 1 pinch of pepper. Taste and adjust with salt/pepper. The risotto should be moist, creamy, with the grains separated, and the flavor balanced between the sweetness of the plums, the earthiness of the beet, and the lightness of the onion.

Ingredients: Beets (raw), Dried plums, Salt, Black pepper
If you want a creamier consistency, you can add 2–3 tablespoons of hot water or vegetable broth. Do not mash the groats — they should remain grainy.

Sauerkraut

6

In a medium skillet, pour in 15 g (1 tablespoon) of rapeseed oil and heat over medium heat. Add the drained and finely chopped sauerkraut (if very sour, rinse briefly and drain well). Sauté for 8–10 minutes until it starts to soften, then add the diced apple and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Sauté for another 6–8 minutes until the apple softens and the sauerkraut begins to caramelize slightly. Finally, pour in 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of marjoram, stirring for 1 minute. Taste — the sauerkraut should be slightly sweet and sour and soft, but with a noticeable pickled character.

Ingredients: Sauerkraut, Apple, Sugar, Apple cider vinegar, Dried marjoram, Rapeseed oil
Use a heavy-bottomed pan. If the cabbage seems dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water. Do not cook it too long — it should retain some structure.

Mushroom sauce

7

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 200 ml of hot water for 20–30 minutes until they become soft. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to separate the sand — reserve the broth. Chop the soaked porcini mushrooms (and any fresh mushrooms, if using). In a medium skillet, heat 15 g of oil, sauté the finely chopped onion for 5–6 minutes, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the porcini mushrooms and sauté for 6–8 minutes until the excess water evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add 100 ml of mushroom broth and 50–80 ml of hot water, reduce the heat, and cook for 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the walnuts, and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy (if too thick, add a bit more broth). Season with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce should be smooth, earthy, and aromatic.

Ingredients: Dried porcini mushrooms, Walnuts, Onion, Garlic, Rapeseed oil
Use an immersion blender in a tall container or a countertop blender. If you don't have a blender, finely chop the nuts and mushrooms, but the sauce will be more textured. Check the salt level — dried mushrooms can be salty.

Assembly and serving

8

On a plate, serve a portion of the buckwheat risotto (about 200–220 g of finished risotto per person), place 2–3 slices of roasted beet (from the reserved portion) next to it, and a serving of caramelized sauerkraut (about 80–100 g). In the center, add 2–3 tablespoons of hot mushroom sauce. Sprinkle everything with finely chopped parsley and, if using, toasted sunflower seeds and a bit of crushed walnuts for crunch. Drizzle gently with one teaspoon of rapeseed oil just before serving for shine.

Ingredients: raw buckwheat groats, Barley groats (pearl barley), Beets (raw), Sauerkraut, Dried porcini mushrooms, Walnuts, Parsley, Roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
Serve on wide flat plates — it makes plating easier. Check the temperature of the sauce and the risotto before serving: both should be hot, the cabbage slightly warm.

Finishing

9

Finally, season the plate to taste — if the dish seems too sour, add a pinch of sugar to the cabbage; if it's too bland, a few drops of apple cider vinegar. Serve immediately while everything is hot. You can adjust the amount of sauce and cabbage according to your preference.

Ingredients: Sugar, Apple cider vinegar
Use serving gloves to maintain the plate's aesthetics. The flavors develop after a few minutes — if serving at a party, let guests wait 5 minutes before digging in.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish cuisine, groats and sauerkraut are staples of winter cooking — combining them with mushrooms is a traditional practice, but using buckwheat and pearl barley risotto with a creamy porcini sauce is a modern, plant-based reinterpretation of regional flavors.

Best for

rodzinny obiad zimowy wegańskie święta kolacja na przyjęcie gości

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve hot; garnish with fresh parsley and toasted seeds for a contrast of textures. Strong, dark rye-wheat bread or baked potatoes pair wonderfully with this dish. If you want a more refined version, serve the risotto in a deep bowl with a spoonful of sauce and a sprig of fresh marjoram.

🥡 Storage

Store the risotto, mushroom sauce, and cabbage separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the beets in a separate container. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a little water or oil to restore moisture; the sauce can be reheated in a water bath or over low heat, stirring.

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