It’s hot here in the Netherlands too, and I’ve been preparing cold dishes for a while now, which is why today I suggest this barley salad made with fennel and spinach and some peas for protein.
What comes out is a vegan single dish that’s finger-licking good, very simple to prepare and also perfect as a takeaway meal. In fact, you can enjoy it cold from the fridge or even just made, a bit warm: it’s always tasty!
Before moving on to the recipe, here are some other single dishes that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 1
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pearled barley (you can also use whole barley)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (measuring teaspoon)
- 1 onion
- 1 fennel
- 10 oz spinach
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 lemon
- A few sprigs thyme
- to taste salt
- Total points = 11 WW points
Tools
- Bowls
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Pan
- Pot
- Sieve
Steps
If you want to use whole and hulled barley, as I often do to get more fiber, you will need to soak the barley for at least one night or even for 24 hours. Then you can proceed with cooking. Whole grains are a bit like legumes: if you don’t soak them, cooking will take a long time, I’m talking about hours…
So first, take the pearled or soaked barley grains and cook them in salted water until they are tender. For pearled barley, it usually takes less than half an hour, for whole barley, up to 1 hour. Drain in the sieve and let cool.
In a non-stick pan, put the oil along with the thinly sliced onion and fennel. Add some fresh thyme (dried is also fine) and a little salt. Stir and let cook until the fennel and onion are wilted. If it dries out too much, you can add a little water.
At this point, first add the peas with a dash of water and cover, then, after about 5 minutes, add the coarsely chopped spinach and let them wilt. It will take just another 5 minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat and adjust the salt if necessary.
Now you can pour the barley into the pan with the vegetables and peas, squeeze the half lemon and mix.
Our barley salad with vegetables and peas is ready!
Now it’s up to you: you can enjoy it like this, warm, or put it in the fridge to serve as a cold salad or maybe take it to work or the beach. You’ll see how good it is even the next day!
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How long and how do you store it?
You can store this barley salad in the fridge for 3 or 4 days in an airtight container. I don’t think it’s possible to freeze it, but you can prepare a large quantity of barley and freeze it portioned in freezer bags. Once thawed, it will be like freshly cooked and if you want you can heat it in the microwave.
What can I use instead of barley?
You can use any cereal, whichever you prefer. If you’re gluten intolerant, I recommend millet, sorghum, buckwheat, or quinoa.
