Vegetable Barley Salad

Brighten up your plate with this wholesome and refreshing Vegetable Barley Salad, a hearty yet light dish that’s perfect for any season. Packed with nutritious pearl barley, crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, and vibrant red bell peppers, this salad boasts a medley of fresh, colorful vegetables. A zesty dressing made with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and a touch of ground cumin ties everything together with a burst of bold flavor. This high-fiber, plant-based recipe is easy to prepare, coming together in just 40 minutes (including cooking and chilling time), and serves as a wonderful make-ahead option for healthy lunches, picnics, or potluck gatherings. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a refreshing side dish or a satisfying standalone meal. It's the perfect addition to your repertoire of healthy salad recipes!

Nutriscore Rating: 75/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:25 mins

Total Time:40 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup Pearl barley
• 3 cups Water
• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium Cucumber
• 1 medium Red bell pepper
• 0.25 cup Red onion
• 0.25 cup Fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
• 1 clove Garlic
• 0.5 teaspoons Ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoons Salt
• 0.25 teaspoons Black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the pearl barley under cold water to remove excess starch.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, combine the pearl barley and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until the barley is tender.

Step 3

Once cooked, drain any excess water from the barley and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.

Step 4

While the barley is cooling, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, and finely dice the red onion.

Step 5

Chop the parsley finely and set it aside.

Step 6

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.

Step 7

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled barley, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and parsley.

Step 8

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat all the ingredients evenly.

Step 9

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. You can add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your preference.

Step 10

Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Step 11

Serve chilled or at room temperature as a light meal or side dish.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1399.2g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1156.4

Total Fat 43.9g	0%
Saturated Fat 6.2g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1252.5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 176.1g	0%
Dietary Fiber 35.5g	0%
Total Sugars 11.5g
Protein 23.7g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 196.5mg	0%
Iron 7.8mg	0%
Potassium 1448.7mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 33.1%

Protein: 7.9%

Carbs: 59.0%