- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stick
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 150g pearl barley
- 2 pointed red peppers
- 1 red onion
- 25g raisins
- 25g pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove
- A handful of sorrel
- A bunch of radishes
- 1 courgette
- 1 orange
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 300ml boiling water
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1.
Halve, peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the carrot. Finely chop the celery. Warm a pan over a medium heat. Drizzle in 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle in 2 tsp fennel seeds. Add the veg and cook on a medium-low heat for 7-8 mins. Stir in the barley. Add 300ml boiling water. Pop on a lid. Simmer for 25-30 mins till the barley is just soft and the water is mostly absorbed.
- 2.
While the barley cooks, heat your grill to its highest setting. Halve the peppers lengthways. Pull off the stalk and remove the pith and seeds. Place the peppers skin side up on a foil-lined baking tray. Grill for 8-12 mins till the skin is blackened. Carefully remove the peppers and place them in a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to steam.
- 3.
Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Put it in a small bowl. Add the raisins. Cover with boiling water. After 5 mins, drain well.
- 4.
Set a frying pan on a medium heat. Tip in the pine nuts and toast for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan now and then. Tip into a mortar and pestle. Peel and crush the garlic. Finely shred the sorrel, stalks and leaves. Add both to the pine nuts with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt. Pound together to make a paste. Alternatively pulse in a food processor or finely chop everything and stir together.
- 5.
Trim the radishes, reserving the leaves. Finely slice the radishes. Roughly shred the leaves. Place in a large serving bowl. Cut the courgette into quarters lengthways. Cut out and discard the seeds. Chop the courgette into small chunks and add to the bowl with the radishes.
- 6.
Remove the peppers from their bowl. Peel away the papery blackened skins and discard them. Cut the peppers into thin ribbons.
- 7.
Drain off any excess water from the barley and shake it dry in a sieve. Tip it back into the pan. Zest in the orange. Add 1 tsp of the sorrel pesto and stir to coat the grains. Taste and season.
- 8.
Transfer the red onion and raisins to the veg bowl. Pour in the cooked barley. Stir everything together. Top with the pepper ribbons and dollops of remaining sorrel pesto. Serve with wedges of orange to squeeze over.