The pearled barley salad with chickpeas, zucchini and strawberries was born a bit by chance, as many of my anti-waste and recycling recipes are! The basic rule is not to buy in excess to avoid food reaching its expiry before you have time to consume it. If that should happen, tempted by competitive and convenient prices, simply recycle the surplus and use it in other recipes! And that’s the case here: a super-affordable crate of strawberries that risked not being eaten in time. I didn’t feel like making the usual strawberry dessert; rather I was intrigued by the idea of preparing a spring-style vegetarian first course — fresh and delicate, but above all rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. The strawberries give a truly unique pleasantness to the palate, slightly tempered by the stronger flavor of Provola del Casale, a Sicilian cheese specialty from the Nebrodi mountains, which you can replace with a sweet or spicy provola of your choice. In short, an unusual dish with a surprising flavor that, I promise, won’t disappoint you!
All “vegetarian” recipes are without meat and/or fish (N.B. it is possible to use other animal-based protein foods, such as eggs and cheeses).
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Expensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
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- 1 7/8 cups Pearled barley
- 1 cup Cooked chickpeas
- 2 cups Strawberries
- 3 White zucchinis (medium)
- 3.5 oz Provola (Casale sweet)
- 10 leaves Fresh mint
- to taste Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
Preparation
Wash, trim and slice the zucchinis into not-too-thin rounds. Place them on a very hot griddle or skillet and salt them.
Cook them about 3 minutes per side (fig. 2).
Season with a clove of garlic, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mint leaves to taste, then let rest for 1 hour (fig. 3).
Wash and dry the strawberries with kitchen paper, then slice them, removing the green stem. Dress them with oil, salt and pepper and set aside (fig. 4).
Meanwhile, rinse the barley under running water, put it in a pot and cover it with water equal to double its volume. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat and cook for about 30 minutes or according to the cooking times indicated on your package. Salt, turn off the heat and drain.
Assemble the barley salad by combining the barley, the zucchini with all their dressing, the drained chickpeas, the strawberries and the provola cut into cubes — add the provola last and only when the dish is already cool.
Serve at room temperature. And voilà… pearled barley with chickpeas, strawberries and zucchini is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy your meal from FeFe’s kitchen!
