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.