BARLEY SALAD WITH GREEK LEMON HONEY DRESSING
Barley Salad with a Greek lemony dressing is easy to make, ideal potluck salad and makes a healthy meal. Add vegetables of your choice. What I like about this salad is that it stays fresh for at least 3 days in the fridge
Ingredients
FOR THE BARLEY SALAD
- ½ cup pot or hulled barley
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium apple
- 2 small cucumber
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
- 8-10 walnuts toasted
- 10 olives sliced
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- extra tap water for soaking
FOR THE GREEK LEMON HONEY DRESSING
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp Greek Seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper coarsely ground
Instructions
SOAK THE BARLEY
- if you are using pot barley, soak it in enough tap water for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- This will reduce the cooking time. It will take anywhere between 30-40 minutes.
COOK THE BARLEY
- Drain out the water from the soaked barley using a sieve or colander.
- Rinse the barley.
- Add 2 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add the barley and you can add about ½ tsp salt.
- Lower the heat and allow the barley to cook till it becomes tender.
- This will take about 30-40 minutes. Make sure you don't over cook the barley as it will become too soft and mushy.
- Fluff up the cooked barley using a fork. Let it cool down completely.
PREPARE THE SALAD
- Lightly toast the walnuts and pumpkin seeds in a pan over low heat or in the microwave oven for 2-3 minutes.
- Allow the nuts and seeds to cool down completely. Cut the walnuts into halves.
- Core and cut the apple into cubes. Drizzle some lemon juice over it so that it does not turn brown.
- Dice the cucumbers. If the skin is soft then you don't need to remove it.
- Chop the parsley or whichever herb you use.
- Add the cooked barley, cucumber, apple, onion, parsley, walnuts, pomegranate, sunflower seeds and olives into a mixing bowl.
- Mix or toss well.
PREPARE THE LEMON HONEY DRESSING
- Add olive oil, salt, pepper, Greek Seasoning, lemon juice and honey in a small cup or bowl.
- Whisk it till it becomes a bit creamy.
- Alternately, you can add the ingredients in a jar with a good tight lid.
- Close the lid. Shake the jar.
ADD THE DRESSING
- Add the dressing to the salad. Toss or mix it well.
- I prefer to add the dressing just before serving so that the salad does not become soggy.
- Can serve the salad with the dressing on the side.
Notes
- As light lunch this salad is for 2. If you serve it as a side dish then it can serve 4.
- If you don't have Greek Seasoning, add any dried herbs of your choice.
- Add feta if you want to.
- If you use pearl barley then you don't need to soak it.
- Remember a barley triples up in quantity after it is cooked.