Ingredients Cooking Method

• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
• 1/2 cup thickened cream
• 30g butter
• 600g butternut pumpkin, peeled
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup parmesan, grated
• 60g baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 2 tbs sage leaves, fried (to garnish)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Cooking Method

1. Preheat slow cooker on high setting for 5 minutes. Add butter , spring onion and bar ley. Cut pumpkin into 1cm cubes. Add to cooker with thyme and stock cube. Stir in 3 1/2 cups boiling water. Cover with lid. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, (or reduce setting to low and cook for 5 hours) until bar ley and pumpkin are tender .
2. Stir in cream and half the parmesan until combined. Fold through spinach, re-cover with lid, and cook for a further 15 minutes or until wilted.
3. Spoon into serving bowls and top with toasted pine nuts, remaining parmesan and fried sage leaves