Barley -- Beyond Beer & Scotch Broth (Part 1)
Monday, January 26, 2009 
Along with knitting, my other 2009 creative challenge -- thanks to inspiration from some old & new blogging friends and a New Year's resolution someone else made on my behalf -- is to try new-to-me recipes, including ones with seasonal foods near the bottom of my preferences list. Like parsnips. Which I'm still working on. With Sophie's help. However, I've finally conquered my indifference to barley, thanks to this recipe I found in an old Canadian Living cookbook.
Bean & Barley Salad
(File under: all-season, pantry-based, make-ahead, potluck-friendly, quick-and-easy, economical, vegan, high-fibre)
Any combination of legumes works well for taste and presentation. In the version I made this weekend, I used butter beans instead of chick-peas.
1/2 cup (125 mL) pearl barley
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chick peas
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) red kidney beans
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) white kidney beans
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped green onions
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh coriander or parsley
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
Dressing:
1/3 cup (75 mL) red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
1/2 cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1) In saucepan of 12 cups (3 L) boiling water, cook barley over medium-high heat for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender but firm; drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and place in a serving bowl.
2) Drain and rinse chick peas, and red and white kidney beans; drain well and add to bowl. Add onions, coriander (or parsley) and jalapeno peppers.
3) Dressing: In small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin; gradually whisk in oil. Toss gently with bean mixture.
Salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional Analysis (using RecipeAnalyzer):
| Calories (kcal) | 380.2 | Folate (μg) | 111.4 |
| Fat (g) | 16.3 | Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.5 |
| Protein (g) | 12.6 | Vitamin B12 (μg) | 0 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 47.5 |
Calcium (mg) | 87.4 |
| Sugar (g) | 2.9 | Iron (mg) | 3.6 |
| Fibre (g) | 13.2 | Sodium (mg) | 934.2 |
| Vitamin A (μg) | 29.7 | Potassium (mg) | 547.2 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 13.1 | ||
| Vitamin D (μg) | 0 | ||
| Vitamin E (mg) | 2.2 | ||
| Thiamin (mg) | 0.2 | ||
| Riboflavin (mg) | 0.1 | ||
| Niacin (ne) | 3.9 |
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I'm going to end the recipe section of the post here. Part 2, to be published in a day or two, will have more information about barley, including its nutrition profile, glycemic index and recent research on health benefits.
Reader Comments (4)
This recipe looks delicious. I had such a craving for barley soup a few weeks ago and made a very successful mushroom barley soup. My mother always used barley in her vegetable soup which I've never been able to duplicate, although I've tried for years. I've never tried it in a salad and I'm quite looking forward to it.
What a lovely, lovely barley recipe. I have to admit, while it's one of my favourite grains, I don't eat the stuff anywhere near as much as I'd like.
Good luck with conquering your parsnip prejudice! I often think with vegetables it's just about trying different ways of preparing them. Lots of people say they hate Brussels and I agree, if we're talking over-boiled sprouts. But roasted, or cooked in a curry - that's a different matter entirely.
So maybe raw, as per Sophie's recipe? Or roasted with garlic and olive oil (my favourite); or as a mash; or tiny cubes in a soup?
@Kelly
Hello. Always so good to hear from you. Thanks for the reminder about the soup. I saw it earlier this month & meant to bookmark it on Delicious. Greens & Berries readers, if you haven't meet Kelly through her Planet Green posts, you are missing out on healthy, delicious, seasonal recipes.
Here is the link to Kelly's Mushroom Barley Soup http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/crock-pot-barley-soup.html.
@Kathryn
Also lovely to hear from you as a commenter here. I'll have to give you credit for motivating me to explore familiar foods in new ways. Yes, Brussels sprouts are another very challenging food for me. I've had them steamed but never as you've suggested. Sophie has some great parsnip ideas, doesn't she, and I'm going to try the salad. Parsnip cubes in soup also sound worth trying.
lovely. i am a dietitian as well and always love stumbling across others with such a passion for food. your photography and writing is brilliant as well. i launched my own food blog last week and would love for you to pop over some time. I'm [obviously] new to this, so any comments/suggestions/etc are vastly appreciated.
cheers,
*heather*
http://squirrelbread.wordpress.com