Barley & Bean Salad (vegan)
It has been HOT here in New York, so how about a recipe to help cool things down.
You know I love to cook, I can get lost in the kitchen for hours whipping up recipes and baking new treats, but because of the heat recently I find myself avoiding the
kitchen. Standing over a stove or turning on your oven sounds like a nightmare when the temperature peaks at 97 degrees.
In an effort to keep things cool, I decided on making bigger batch meals so that I'm not cooking every night. I made this barley and bean salad with things I had in my pantry, and I'm sure you do too! If you don't have chickpeas, use another bean you have. If you don't have barley, you can use another hearty grain like farro! Only have spinach, not arugula, go for it! This recipe is completely customizable. You can stay cool while making weeknight dinner OR bring this to a BBQ - it goes great with all of the grilling go-tos.
The best part of this recipe is that you can enjoy it warm, room temp or cold and the flavor is only amplified if you let it sit in the fridge overnight!
INGREDIENTS
Salad Ingredients:
1/2 cup barley
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth if you're not vegan)
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & rinsed
1 cup arugula, chopped
Simple Vinaigrette (see below)
Simple Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup white balsamic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium pot, add barley and 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Drain excess liquid and fluff it with a fork.
In a blender, add all of the vinaigrette ingredients and blend on high until everything is combined completely.
In a large bowl gently toss together the cooked barley, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, arugula and vinaigrette.
Enjoy warm or cover the bowl and allow it to set for an hour or overnight. Note-the flavor is even better the next day!
Make this recipe and share your photos with me on Instagram or Facebook @bewellwithmarissa !