I make a quinoa salad similar to this. I was having my friends for lunch and I planned to cook quina pilaf to serve with stew. So, I did not want to have a quinoa salad and decided to use barley instead. It came out just as delicious. Pomegranate seeds add a fresh sweet taste to this tangy salad. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup pearl barley
5 cups boiling water
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
1 medium carrot, julienne cut
Zest of one medium orange
¾ cup pomegranate seeds
1 avocado, diced
3 table spoon olive oil (you can also use any good oil like avocado or grape seed oil)
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1-2 table spoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Soak barley in cold water at least for 2 hours or overnight. It soaks a lot of water, use a large bowl and plenty of water. In a large pot, boil 5 cups of water. Drain barley, add it to the boiling water and let it simmer until it is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, let it cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, mix barley with all of the ingredients except pomegranate seeds and avocado. Toss well, then add pomegranate seeds and diced avocado. Gently stir and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Serve chilled.
