This creamy pumpkin barley with sausage is comforting, hearty and an easy fall meal. It’s similar to risotto with a bit more chew from the barley and a heck of a lot quicker to make.
Yesterday, we hiked 6.6 miles to a decrepit fire tower on top of Fontana Lake in North Carolina. It was a 2 hour trip up with about 1.99 of them at a minimum 45% incline. The winds were blowing so hard, trees were bending and snapping everywhere around us and all I could picture was the scene in Twister where the telephone pole thing smashed through the windshield piercing that dude through the head.
Except minus the twister and the windshield part…
We were freezing, wind blown and exhausted by the time we got back to the car almost 4 hours later and you know what sounded great?
A big bowl of this creamy pumpkin barley.
Instead though, we got gas in the only town with cell service within about an hour driving distance and pulled into the McDonald’s drive through attached to it.
Not my finest moment.
I have such fond memories of my mom making risotto on cold weather days in the fall and winter (never in the summer) that I wanted to try to recreate that with this pumpkin barley. The only thing about risotto I can’t stand is the time and patience it requires. Who wants to slowly ladle in broth spoonful by spoonful waiting for the rice to absorb it as you stand over the stove for almost an hour.
Yeah, not me.
The thing I love about risotto, however, is that creaminess and Silk works perfectly in this recipe with the pumpkin to bring plenty of that to each bite.
The chew and heartiness of the barley beats out rice any day in my opinion and the quicker cooking time for the whole thing makes this a healthy but comforting meal you can easily get on the table for a weeknight dinner.
The added salty sausage gives it heartiness and staying power. You could even stir in some baby spinach for a little greenery and a complete meal. Or, serve with a nice dinner salad alongside.
Looking for more savory pumpkin recipes? Try one of these:
Parmesan Pumpkin Scones
Creamy Pumpkin Garlic Pasta with Tuscan Kale
Creamy Cauliflower Pumpkin Mash
Pumpkin Tortilla Casserole
This creamy pumpkin barley with sausage is comforting, hearty and an easy fall meal. It's similar to risotto with a bit more chew from the barley and a heck of a lot quicker to make.Creamy Pumpkin Barley with Sausage
Ingredients
Instructions
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
What a great way to end a long hike lol This looks amazing and so much better than what I imagine you had! ;)
This seriously looks perfect. And I didn’t just climb a mountain, or even get a telephone pole smashed through my head. Can I still have some?
I can’t believe you went out in that… haha. Those are the days I refuse to leave the house :-)
So glad you had a nice trip and the barley looks amazing!!!
Hooray, creamy and comforting squash! Plus, I have just about given up on making risotto with rice, and always use barley, so this is totally in my wheelhouse. So good!
It it possible to sub the ground sausage with ground turkey? If yes, any special tips?
Definitely! Maybe just add some more salt than you would if you were using the sausage.
Can you substitute the barley for something gluten free?
Sure, quinoa or gf oats would probably work. Might have to play with the wet ingredient ratios a bit as I haven’t tried it but just start with less and you can always add more if need be.