If you’re looking for a filling and oh so tasty meal, barley salad is the way to go.
This is an adapted recipe. The original calls for Wheat Berries which can be a little tricky to find in my local shops so in the spirit of experimentation, I used barley. It’s a difficult one to call but while the taste is different, it’s equally as good.
This recipe has slow release carbs, vitamin c and a little iron, calcium and protein, and probably lots of other things good for you. And it’s filling without being heavy so great before or after a run.
While this has does have some protein, it’s also good with a boiled egg for a bit of extra if you’re training hard.
Serves 4 to 6 or a week’s supply of lunch for 1.
2 cups of barley, rinsed
6 cups water
A few good pinches of salt
Salt and pepper
100 g of spinach leaves, rinsed and stemmed
½ cup toasted pine nuts [see Snack time for roasting the seeds and nuts]
125 g of crumbled feta
Citrus dressing
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 minced shallots
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Put the rinsed barley in a large pot, add in water and salt, and put over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or so until tender. Drain and let cool a little.
- To make the dressing, combine the orange zest and juice, lemon juice and shallot. Whisk the oil and season with a few pinches of salt and a bit of pepper.
- Toss the barley with the spinach, pine nuts, citrus dressing, then top with feta. Taste for seasoning.
- EAT!
Let me know how you get on with this recipe and if there are other tweaks to the recipe you’ve tried.
Adapted from Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Cooking.