Summer Barley Salad
A light and healthy summer dish, this Barley Salad is packed with flavor! Feta cheese, shallots, and sliced almonds complement the fruits and vegetables in this barley salad recipe.
Barley is a nutritious high-fiber whole grain with a chewy texture. This barley salad makes a great summer side dish but can also be a whole meal. It is filling thanks to the protein and fiber from the pearl barley and the almonds. If you are going to make a meal out of this salad, don’t skip the feta cheese!
With my cooking I focusing on quick and easy meals with fresh ingredients. This Barley Salad with grilled asparagus and nectarines is one such dish. It’s packed with flavor, and a great way to enjoy asparagus while it’s still in season. Once asparagus season is over, this recipe is easily adaptable for other vegetables (and fruits). I think I’ll try it with green beans next. It’s the sweet-savory combination of ingredients that makes this salad a favorite.
The leftovers are also delicious for lunch the next day.
This pearl barley salad won’t keep you in the kitchen for long, but it will keep your tastebuds happy! I’ve mixed feta cheese, shallots, and sliced almonds into the salad to make sure you get tons of flavor in each bite. This barley recipe is the perfect dish to add to your next summer BBQ!
Barley Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
- 1 pound asparagus, washed, dried and trimmed
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup chopped shallot
- 2 medium nectarines, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook barley according to package directions. Place cooked barley in a large bowl; set aside.
- Meanwhile, brush the asparagus with a small amount of olive oil. Grill the asparagus over medium heat on a lightly oiled grill or grill pan until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly before cutting into 1-inch pieces.
- Add the shallot and asparagus to the bowl with the barley.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients; pour over barley mixture and toss gently to coat the salad. Gently stir in nectarine, feta cheese, almonds, and basil. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
All of the flavors in this salad sound so good! I am in love with nectarines and especially like them in salads.
This salad is so pretty Kristine! I love nectarines and paired with asparagus sounds even better!
This salad looks delicious, Kristine! I always forget about adding barley to salads, though I love it! This combination sounds absolutely amazing. Such a great idea to pair asparagus and nectarines, too! So creative!
Yay for summer break! Quick and easy meals are my favorite this time of year too, so this looks perfect. I love all the fresh ingredients in this salad too!
I love this salad. It looks sooo fresh and flavorful. I’ve been getting awesome peaches and nectarines from the fruit stand lately, and I really need to start making some salads with them!!
This is like my perfect summer salad! I love all the flavors here. And I have never grilled asparagus for some reason, I need to try that ASAP.
So jealous you get summers off! I miss having summers to just hang out and have fun. I bet you’re just loving it! Plus, nice to be home with all your little ones. This salad sounds delicious!
This looks so delicious! I love fresh fruit and I loooove asparagus. Pinning 🙂
Barley is not a pulse that I cook often so thanks for the inspiration, I definitely will be making a batch to add to my salads now!
I love nectarines in salads plus I’m a huge fan of barley (a bit underestimated stuff, right?). That’s why your salad sounds and looks like the perfect one to me! Good job!
Yes! I haven’t done much cooking with barley but we loved it in this salad!