Barley Salad with Spring Vegetables
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10 servings
 
A chewy whole grain barely salad with spring vegetables in a white balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
  • Barley Salad
  • 8 oz/250g pearled barley
  • 1 lb/500g asparagus
  • ½ lb/250g sugar snap peas
  • 8 oz/250g mushrooms, sliced
  • Young pea shoots or other field greens
  • 2 small watermelon radishes
  • ¼ cup chives, chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup/235ml vinaigrette
  • White Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • ½ cup/120ml white balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup/120ml extra Virginia olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Start by making the balsamic vinaigrette.
  2. Add a ½ cup white balsamic vinegar to a medium size bowl.
  3. Mince or grate the garlic clove with a Microplane, and add to the vinegar.
  4. Add the honey and mix together until honey has dissolved.
  5. Add the ½ cup olive oil whisking as you add to emulsify.
  6. Check for salt and pepper and season to your taste.
  7. Put aside until the barley is ready.
  8. Cook the pearled barley according to package instructions.
  9. You want to cook the barley to the firm side and not too soft as it will be in a salad.
  10. While the barley is cooking, prep the vegetables.
  11. Bring a pit of water to boil and once it reaches boiling, add the asparagus.
  12. Cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes pulling them out while they are still a vibrant green and crunchy.
  13. Pull them out into a bowl of ice water to cool them down,
  14. In the same boiling water, blanch the sugar snap peas.
  15. Once again, cook them briefly, 3 minutes, and pull them out while still green and crunchy into a bowl of ice water.
  16. Once the asparagus and sugar snap peas are cool, chop them into bite size pieces if desired.
  17. Cut the asparagus into smaller pieces and the sugar snap peas into halves or thirds.
  18. Sauté the mushrooms in a hot pan with 2 teaspoons oil
  19. Just lightly brown them to cook out the rawness and get a smoky flavour.
  20. Keep aside once cooked.
  21. Once the barley is cooked, drain the excess water if needed and rinse under hot water to get out the starchiness.
  22. Toss the barley with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette.
  23. When ready to serve, toss the mushrooms, asparagus, sugar snap peas, pea shoots or field greens and the herbs together.
  24. Add the remaining vinaigrette, start with ½ cup and add as needed.
  25. I used all 1 cup since the barley absorbs the liquid.
  26. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  27. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.
Recipe by Coffee and Crumpets at http://www.coffeeandcrumpets.com/barley-salad-spring-vegetables/