Easy Herby Barley Salad with Garlic-Roasted Mushrooms and peppers
The best Herby Barley Grain Bowl! Garlic roasted mushrooms, Caramelized onions, crunchy peppers, and loads of fresh thyme. This healthy salad bowl is incredibly easy to make and the luxe creamy Balsamic dressing takes it to another level of deliciousness.This might just be the best easy Herby Barley Salad you will ever make, thanks to the Garlic-Roasted Mushrooms, the crunchy peppers, and the creamy balsamic dressing that all come together to make a super simple and super tasty healthy salad recipe. It’s a nutritional powerhouse chocked full of healthy immune system-boosting ingredients. And it makes a great dinner, lunch, and everything in between because it can be served both hot and cold. It’s a great on-the-go vegan lunch salad that will keep you feeling energized and full for longer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Barley Uncooked
- 3 cups Vegetable Broth
- ½ tsp Sea salt or Kosher Salt
- 1½ cups (200g) Mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Red Onion Sliced
- 2 Red Bell Peppers Sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Thyme
Balsamic Dressing
- ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 cup Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
Cooking barley on a stovetop
- Rinse the barley before cooking. Pour the barley into a pot and cover it with the vegetable broth. Add a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a boil (keep a close eye on the pot because barley tends to want to boil over). Once the water boils, turn the heat down to a simmer and let the barley cook until the water has absorbed. Pearl barley will need to cook for around 35-minutes and pot barley will need to cook for closer to 50-minutes. Once the barley has cooked, remove it from the stove and leave to cool a little.
Cooking barley in an instant pot
- Add 1 cup barley to the instant pot and cover with 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock. Add a pinch of salt. Make sure the ceiling ring is in place and close the lid shut with the nob turned towards the ceiling. Cook on high pressure with the quick release on for:Pearl barley instant pot cooking time: 20-minutes Pot barley instant pot cooking time: 25-minutes Use the natural pressure release until the pin drops (should take around 25-minutes).Once the barley has cooked, carefully stir it with a spoon to make it fluffy and leave it to rest for 5-10 minutes before adding the vegetables.
Making the Salad
- While the barley cooks, heat a non-stick pan and add the sliced mushrooms and onions. Let the vegetables cook while stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms start to soften.
- Add the finely chopped garlic to the dish, along with a pinch of salt and the thyme. Stir together and let cook for a few more minutes. Finally, at the last minute, add the sliced bell peppers and allow to cook for 1 minute.
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. (Pour leftover dressing into a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator).
- Once the barley has cooked, add the garlic mushrooms mix to the barley and gently combine the salad. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.