This barley salad tastes amazing! Combine the whole grain and crunchy vegetables and then cover it with a lemon-olive oil dressing.
This is a new grain salad you will not be able resist. It’s Barley Salad. Barley may not be the main ingredient in salads, but it is more popular than other trendy grains such as farro and quinoa. This whole grain, however, is absolutely perfect: it’s chewy texture, nutty taste, and crunchy vegetables, garlic, herbs and lemon olive oil dressing are all the right contrast. We were both immediately smitten by the flavor. This is our favorite recipe for picnics and cookouts.
Barley Salad Ingredients
Barley salad, which is Mediterranean in style, features crunchy vegetables, herbs, feta cheese and lemon. The recipe is quick and easy to make: prepare the grains, cut the vegetables, then add the dressing. To put this together, it will take you about 30 minutes.
- Pearl barley: see below to learn more about different types of barley
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Garlic
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Shallot
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Cherry tomatoes
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Bell pepper
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We used fresh herbs parsley and basil
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Feta cheese crumbles
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Lemon juice and lemon zest
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Olive Oil
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Salt and pepper
Different types of barley
You can choose from hulled or pearl barley for your barley salad. This is similar to brown rice and white rice. Hulled barley, like brown rice has more of its grain removed. Although pearl is faster to cook, some prefer the nutritional benefits of hulled. The nutritional differences aren’t that significant. The pearl barley still provides a good source of fiber and protein.
- Hulled barley is just the outer shell of the grain. It has more fiber that the pearl varieties. This barley is darker and requires about an hour to cook.
- Pearled, also known as pearl barley, is the most common type that has had the bran and outer husk removed. This takes only 30 minutes to prepare. However, it’s very healthy.
Here are some tips on how to make barley salad
It is easy and quick to make this barley salad! These are the basics:
- To cool, spread the cooked barley on a baking tray. Cooling the grains faster is achieved by laying them out in one layer. You can speed up this process by putting the sheet in the refrigerator for just a few seconds to bring the grains to room temperature.
- The barley can be cooked ahead of time. You can simply refrigerate the barley for 1 to 2 days before you make your salad.
- Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil and other can be used. It is easiest to use only parsley, but it’s also possible to mix and match! Parsley and basil were used. You can also use dill and mint.
Information about storage
Barley salad is great for picnics and making ahead lunches. It can be kept in the refrigerator for as long as 5 days. It tastes best immediately, but it will taste great after being refrigerated.
More grain salad recipes
Do you love a great grain salad? These are just a few of the many ways you can make delicious whole grain salads.
- Grab our Go-To Quinoa Salad
- A hearty Farro Salad is a great option
- You can try a Black Bean and Rice Salad
- Couscous Salad is technically pasta, but acts as a grain.
Go-To Quinoa Salad
Farro Salad
Black Bean Salad
Couscous Salad
The barley salad recipe can be found here
Vegan, vegetarian, plant-based and dairy-free.
Print
Lemon Barley Salad
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Prep time:
15 minutes
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Time to Cook:
30-minutes
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Total time:
45 minutes
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Yield:
6 side dish servings 1x
Description
This barley salad tastes amazing! Combine the whole grain and crunchy vegetables and then cover it with a lemon-olive oil dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Divided
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 shallot, sliced
- One cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 bell pepper, diced (or 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley (we used basil and parsley)
- Half cup Feta cheese crumbles
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the chopped barley with three cups of water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes or 45-minutes if you use hulled barley. If the pan gets dry, add more water to make the mixture even thicker.
- Any excess water should be drained. Allow the barley to cool in one layer on a baking tray. Then, place it in the freezer for two minutes to accelerate the cooling process.
- While you wait, chop the shallot and mince the garlic. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Chop the bell pepper. The dill, mint and garlic should be chopped.
- After the barley has been rehydrated, you can place it into a bowl along with the vegetables and herbs. Mix in the crumbled feta cheese, lemon juice, zest, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, half a teaspoon kosher salt and a handful of grinds black pepper. Combine gently.
- You can serve immediately, or you can refrigerate it for up to five days. Flavors are best when they’re fresh but taste great once chilled; you might need to add a few more salt to bring them back to life.
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Category:
Salad
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Method:
Stovetop
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Cuisine:
American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Barley salad