Barley Salad
Serves 4
- 1 cup dry barley
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cooked lentils or diced roasted chicken
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- Lemon vinaigrette:
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, fresh crushed
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
To cook the barley, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the barley, reduce the heat to a high simmer and cook 30-40 minutes until tender when tested. Drain, rinse quickly under cool water, and allow to drain.
While the barley cooks, sauté the mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 4 minutes, add the juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to taste and continue to sauté for about another 4 minutes until the mushrooms are golden brown and the lemon juice has evaporated. Remove from heat.
Make to vinaigrette by whisking the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Combine all of the ingredients with the vinaigrette in a salad bowl, toss well to incorporate the flavors, and serve.
