Recipe--Barley Salad

As you probably know already, our family recently returned from a two-week vacation to Michigan. Vacation is usually a time when we depart from our normal diets and splurge a little bit (or a lot if you’re me. J) After two weeks of eating primarily in restaurants and at hotel buffets (with a lot of cherry pie, ice cream, and s’mores thrown in during our time at the lake) my body had just about had its fill of junk food for awhile.

When we got home, it was back to salads, fruit, and a lot less processed carbs! I was digging around in our pantry and found a bag of hulled barley. I decided to cook some up. Since it takes awhile, and I was already hungry, I didn’t eat it that day. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with barley outside of soup.

So I hit the internet for some research! I had zero interest in making soup when it was 99 degrees outside, so I looked into salads instead. We had almost all the ingredients for the salad below. Cool, crunchy, salty, savory, and bright, I immediately loved this salad! I made a bunch and packaged it up in containers so that I could grab them for a quick lunch. This would make a great accompaniment for a dinner, or it can stand on its own for a lunch.

I have posted the original recipe (which I found on the Food Network website) from Alton Brown. I have put my own personal adaptations in parentheses. I haven’t actually tried Brown’s version, and can only vouch for my own. But like any salad, make it the way you like it, and experiment!

Barley Salad

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (I cheated and used bottled)

Kosher salt (I used coarse sea salt)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 1/2 to 4 cups cooked and cooled barley

1 small head fennel, julienned (I substituted 2 stalks of celery for crunch, and about 2 teaspoons of oregano since we had no fennel and I’m not a big anise fan [the online recommended substitute was celery and anise for the fennel head])

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (we never have pine nuts, so I used slivered almonds instead)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon, approximately 4 slices

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used 1 tablespoon of dried)

Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Add the olive oil and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the barley, fennel, pine nuts, Parmesan, bacon and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately or allow to sit in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Serves 6. (Mine has done well in the fridge for several days.)

Per Serving (based on a 6-serving yield): Calories: 272; Total Fat: 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 3 grams; Protein: 8 grams; Total carbohydrates: 32 grams; Sugar: 1 gram; Fiber: 5 grams; Cholesterol: 7 milligrams; Sodium: 334 milligrams