When it’s hot, grain salads, as I call them, are all the rage, at least in my house they are. Cook barley, farro, or rice and then unleash your imagination with carrots, peas (even frozen), giving life to this Barley Salad with Zucchini, Carrots, and Peas which is really simple and delicious.
Do you have other vegetables in the fridge to use? Go ahead and use them, even raw grated carrots, black or green olives, artichokes in oil, and so on.
Just like the rice salad, this Barley Salad is also perfect to bring to the beach or for your lunch box at work. I know many of you work outside, so I find it a very valid and fresh solution.
Below I leave you with other fresh salads with grains and vegetables to try, and then let’s head under the photo to discover how to prepare this Barley Salad with Zucchini, Carrots, and Peas!!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Barley with Zucchini, Carrots, and Peas
- 1 1/4 cups pearled barley
- 3/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 carrots
- 2 zucchini
- 1 onion (small to medium)
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (freshly ground)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste basil
Preparation of Barley with Zucchini, Carrots, and Peas
Bring to a boil plenty of slightly salted water to cook the barley for the time indicated on the package.
Meanwhile, wash the carrots and zucchini, scrape the carrots, and cut both into strips 1 1/2 inches long.
Slice the onion and chop it into small pieces.
In a large high-sided pan, sauté the onion with a little extra virgin oil. When it begins to become transparent, add the carrots and let them cook for 4 or 5 minutes.
Add the zucchini and peas (fresh or frozen) and continue cooking for another 5 to 6 minutes, the vegetables should be cooked but still crisp.
Drain the barley once cooked, place it in a large salad bowl, and dress it with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add the cooked vegetables, and mix everything, allowing it to cool to room temperature.
Season the barley salad with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and some basil leaves before serving.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
You can store the barley salad with zucchini well closed in an airtight container for 2 days in the refrigerator.
If you prefer, you can use canned peas drained from their preservation liquid without cooking them in the pan.
Do you have eggplants? Sauté them in the pan in small cubes along with the chopped onion.
You can add peppers cubed either raw or sautéed in the pan together with the vegetables.
If you prefer, you can use pearled farro or rice for salads.
For a non-vegetarian main dish, add cubes of cooked ham, speck, or cheese like caciotta or latteria.
Other Recipes
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