Creamy Spinach and Zucchini Barley Soup – easy week night meal

Would you like to try an easy recipe with a lot of flavor and a lot of good veggies for your kids and the entire family? Creamy barley risotto is the answer.
I’m from Milano and risotto is a very traditional recipe from Northern Italy, I would say like pancakes here in the USA 😉
This time i wanted to substitute rice with barley to see the difference: lovely!
Compared to rice, barley contains less natural sugars and keeps a crunchy texture even when cooked. Both rice and barley release a nice starch so that the final result is super duper creamy.
I added onions, zucchini, tomatoes and spinach but you can add other vegetables pending from the season and from your taste.
The nice flavor comes also from the cheeses: Parmesan cheese (my favorite, you know!) and Taleggio. If you do not find Taleggio you can always try any intense and soft cheese like Brie or Camembert. If you have young kids under 3, switch Taleggio with Pecorino cheese to have the same strong flavor but easier for them to digest!
Considering all the ingredients, the creamy barley risotto with greens can be a nice full meal for your family!

Happy St.Valentine to everybody!!

I would love to hear your comments!
ciao ciao!
b