We often think of using barley in soups, but it has a delicious nutty texture which makes it perfect for salads. This salad combines the fresh tastes of summer and includes nutrient-rich green leafy vegetables, in the form of herbs.
- L/D Lunch/Dinner
- DF Dairy free
- Ve Vegan
- VG Vegetarian
- S/S Sides/Snacks
- HH Heart-healthy
- Prep time 10 mins
- Cook Time 25 mins
- Serves 6
- Difficulty easy
Method
- Place barley and water in saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer with lid on for 20-25 minutes until the water has absorbed.
- Leave to sit in pot with lid on for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the capsicum, red onion and herbs and place in a large salad bowl.
- Steam the cob of corn. Allow to cool slightly before using a knife to remove the corn kernels from the cob.
- Steam the carrot and add the snow peas after a few minutes (vegetables should be cooked but still crisp).
- Add the cooked vegetables and chopped almonds to the salad.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake with lid on to combine.
- Add the cooked barley to the salad bowl while still hot.
- Add the dressing and stir well to combine the flavours. This salad keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
This video is captioned
Nutritional information
By Jean Hailes naturopath and herbalist Sandra Villella
Serve this salad on its own or with feta, chicken, fish or marinated tofu. It also works well for leftover lunches.
Together, the barley and almonds make up a complete protein, but, if you like, you could add cooked Puy lentils for another vegetarian variation.
Researchers from the University of Toronto developed a cholesterol-lowering diet called the 'Portfolio Diet' that was able to reduce cholesterol levels just as effectively as low-dose statin drugs. One of the four components of this diet was eating more soluble/viscous fibre – particularly oats, psyllium and barley. Another recommendation was to eat 30g of almonds per day.
Plus, the lemon juice in the dressing allows the iron from leafy vegetables, such as parsley, to be better absorbed.
