Barley Salad

Barley Salad is tender barley tossed with corn, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, fresh lime juice, that adds a brightness, and olive oil.

Barley salad has very few ingredients, so try to get the best of the best here. Be prepared to crave this barley salad ALOT! Let’s get to the ingredients.

Ingredients for barley salad

• Pearled Barley (Bob’s Red Mill)
• Vegetable Broth
• Grape, cherry or plum tomatoes
• Corn (canned, grilled or pan fried)
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Freshly squeezed lime juice
• Extra virgin olive oil

What is barley?

Barley is a cereal grain and when cook it yields a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Barley is quite versatile and can be used in salads, soups and anything in between. Please note that barley is not a gluten free grain.

How to make barley salad

Start by placing the barley in a heavy saucepan. Turn the heat to low-medium and toast the barley (stirring frequently) for about 10 minutes or until the barley starts turning golden brown. Carefully and slowly add in the vegetable broth. The broth will most likely bubble so be careful. Stir the barley around, cover with lid and turn down the temperature to a nice simmer. Fully cooked barley will take around 25-30 minutes or so. Once cooked, remove the lid, fluff with fork and add to a bowl. Set aside.

Next, cut the tomatoes in half, (or quarters), drain the corn (if using canned), slice the scallions and chop the cilantro. Add to the bowl with barley. Squeeze the fresh lime juice on top and pour in the extra virgin olive and toss to combine.

Serve immediately or cover and put in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Barley Salad variations

As with most salads, you can add or eliminate ingredients. This barley recipe came from a sweet lady years ago at work. I remember seeing her eating this eye catching salad and asked her what it was. She was kind enough to let me try it and I’m so happy that she did. Thankfully I asked for the recipe. Barley salad is a nice change from pasta salad and like I said before you can make it your own creation.

Here are some add-in suggestions: feta cheese, mozzarella cheese (soft or block), Kalamata olives, diced jalapeño, grilled corn or pan fried corn (gives a nice char to the kernels), sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and any grilled vegetables would be a great addition. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Try it with my BONELESS FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS! ~Christina

Barley Salad

Recipe by Christina Scanlon

Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Tender barley tossed with fresh corn, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, fresh lime juice and olive oil. Perfect as a side dish to any weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Barley

• 2 1/4 Cup Vegetable broth

• 2 Plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

• 1 Cup Whole, corn kernels

• 1/3 Cup Chopped cilantro

• 1/4 Cup Chopped green onions (white parts only)

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

• Place barley in a large, heavy sauce pan and cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, (to avoid burning) until golden brown. About 10 minutes.
• Carefully add in the chicken broth. Stir. *SEE NOTE
• Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat until barley is tender and the broth has been absorbed. About 30-40 minutes.
• Remove barley from heat and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
• Take your tomatoes, remove the seeds and dice, placing them in a bowl.
• Chop the cilantro and green onions and add them to the bowl.
• Toss in the corn.
• Add the barley to the bowl and toss with the lime juice and olive oil.
• Serve room temperature.

Notes

• The chicken broth will splatter when added to the hot pot. Stand back as you pour the broth in.

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