Vegan Recipe – Mediterranean Barley Salad

I spotted this recipe for Mediterranean barley salad in the online edition of L. A. Times and thought it looked pretty tasty. Lucky for me my neighbor Hulda had a jar of capers and we had some kalamata olives in the cupboard so I was able to make it.

It was a little different from the salads I normally liked and I LOVED it!

Ingredients for the Salad

2 cups pearl barley {Amazon or your bulk foods section}
4 cups water
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup drained capers
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano,chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Ingredients for the Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice {I used bottled}
1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil {Zoe Olive Oil is my favorite}

Directions

Place the pearl barley, water and salt in a rice cooker and cook just as you would rice.

If you do not have a rice cooker simply add the pearl barley, water and salt in a saucepan, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook covered, until the liquid has been absorbed and barley is tender {about 30 minutes}.

In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, mustard, kosher salt, vinegar, chives and olive oil and whisk together. Set aside.

Once the pearl barley has cooled, place the barley in a large bowl, and stir in the dressing. Cover and chill for about 2 hours and then fold in the chopped olives, oregano, capers, pine nuts and chives..

Looking for more recipes like this one? Check out the book Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. It rocks!