Bell Peppers Stuffed with Barley Grains

Ingredients

• 2 shallots
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 tsp butter
• 175 g pearl barley
• 650 ml vegetable broth
• 100 g string beans
• Salt
• 1 stalk leek
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 50 g sugar snap peas
• 1 untreated lemon
• 4 green bell peppers (preferably mild Turkish paprika)
• Pepper
• 50 g finely grated parmesan cheese
• butter (for the dish)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 75 ml white wine
• 100 ml carrot juice
• 1 pinch paprika powder
• cornstarch (for thickening)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic. Sauté half of them in 1 tsp butter until translucent. Add the barley and sauté briefly, then pour in 500 ml broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30-40 minutes until al dente.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile, trim the string beans, blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, shock in ice water, drain, and cut into 2 cm pieces. Clean the leek, wash, and slice into 5 mm rings. Wash the yellow pepper, trim, and dice its flesh. Trim and dice the sugar snap peas.

3. 3.

   Wash the lemon hot, dry grate it, and finely grate about half of its zest. Halve the fruit and squeeze out the juice. Wash the green peppers, halve, clean, and season the insides with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (Ober-/Unterhitze). Drain the barley. Heat the remaining butter, briefly sauté the beans, pepper pieces, and leek, seasoning with lemon zest, salt, pepper, and juice. Mix in the cheese and fill the pepper halves with the barley mixture. Place in a butter‑lined baking dish and bake on the middle rack for about 15-20 minutes.

5. 5.

   For the sauce, sauté the remaining onion and garlic pieces in oil, add tomato paste, deglaze with wine, reduce completely, then pour in the remaining broth and carrot juice. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Thicken with a little cornstarch dissolved in cold water if desired.