Barley Vegetable Salad

When attempting to eat better, the food we turn to most is often salad. This weeks’ barley salad offers all the nutritional benefits of a bowl of vegetables along with the benefit of added barley to keep those hunger pains away until your next meal. Paired with your favourite vinegarette dressing this salad will leave you satisfied both in terms of calories and flavour.

The reason each and every one of us come to the table is for some combination of two key elements all foods share, nourishment and enjoyment. On the nourishment side of things we have categories such as total calories, nutrients and minerals and the effect those foods have on the health of our bodies. When it comes to enjoyment we seek out those things that look and taste good. With very rare exception most people do not purchase and consume chocolate for its’ nutritional value. The ultimate goal of any cook is to strike a balance between these elements and leave those to which we serve satisfied. This springtime barley salad does just that.

The taste of sweet peppers in this salad is clear on every bite.   The blend of several different sweet peppers offers a similar but not identical flavour profile, just enough to keep it interesting. The acidity provided by the pickled onions, tomatoes and vinegarette balance out well with the alkalinity provided by the rest of the vegetables. The Barley soaks in all the glorious flavours that surround each grain and add an element of texture to an otherwise flavourful, but light, salad.

Recipe

Ingredients:

¼ cup pearl barley – cooked

2 cups spinach – raw

½ orange pepper – chopped

½ red pepper – chopped

½ yellow pepper – chopped

¼ cup diced tomato

1 small zuchinni – quartered and chopped

¼ cup pickled red onion slices

¼ cup Italian Dressing

Directions:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add barley, simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.
• Prepare all fresh ingredients.
• Strain barley and let cool.
• Incorporate all ingredients and mix together well into a uniform consistency.
• Serve.

While we are still far from the heat of a summer afternoon, a lot of us are looking for ways to crawl out from our winter dens in search of signs of spring. Admit it, we all get a little excited to see the snow disappearing and the temperature rising, even if it is only a little at a time. Just like the first robin sighting of spring, this full plate of inviting fresh vegetables in front of you can seem like one of the first signs of spring.

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