Mediterranean Barley Salad Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN BARLEY SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Add barley and chicken stock to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Set aside.
• Place the chicken breast in a roasting pan, skin side up. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add about ¼ cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees. Once the chicken is cool, discard the skin and bones and cut into cubes. Set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic to a deep pot. Cook garlic on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add spinach and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the barley, cubed chicken, wilted spinach, grape tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir together and re-season if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

MEDITERRANEAN BARLEY SALAD

Steps:

• Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the barley, oil, and salt. Bring back to a boil, adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes more. Drain excess liquid, if needed. Cool.
• Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large serving bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing. Add the barley and the remaining salad ingredients and toss to coat with the dressing. Serve.

CHILLED MEDITERRANEAN BARLEY SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the barley in the broth along with the chopped sun-dried tomatoes for about 30-40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Mix the oil, vinegar and mustard thoroughly.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the barley mixture (green onions through feta cheese), stir, and then add the oil and vinegar mixture, stirring again.
• Add salt and pepper if needed for your taste.
• Variations:
• •Serve on a bed of torn romaine with some chicken for a main dish.
• •Add toasted pine nuts.
• •Use fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried, if you have good tomatoes available.
• •Use fresh oregano (1 Tbsp instead of 1 tsp) if you have fresh herbs available.
• For vegetarian use only the vegetable broth.