If you like to add grains to salads (especially for growing kids in the house), you can stick with rice – or give barley a try.
Barley has a nice nutty flavor and provides an excellent source of fiber.
One of my favorite barley dishes is apple barley salad. You can serve it as a side dish (goes well with grilled chicken), or it makes a great salad topper (place one cup over 2 cups of baby spinach).
Ingredients:
– 1.5 cup dry barley (makes 3 cups cooked)
Dressing:
– 2 T honey
– 2 T Dijon mustard
– 4 T apple cider vinegar
– ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
– 1 shallot, minced
– 2 cup celery, sliced thin
– 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
– 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
– ½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
– Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook barley according to package -OR- cook it in a rice cooker. For every rice cooker cup of barley, add 2 rice cooker cups of water. Turns out perfect every time! Let the barley cool.
In a small bowl, prepare the dressing.
In a large bowl, combine salad and barley. Toss the salad with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Enjoy!
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