I’m not sure what the weather’s like where you are but we’ve got a lovely warm spring day. The shorts are on, Katrina and the Waves are playing on the music system, and there’s the talk of a BBQ. This got me thinking and an old recipe I used to cook a number of years ago came to mind. A delicious and healthy salad that can be a great accompaniment to a larger meal, like a BBQ, but is equally great as a standalone recipe. In fact, this dish is really good as a healthy lunch when at work. Delicious braised carrot and pearl barley salad.
Braised Carrot Pearl Barley Salad
Doesn’t it look good? Very tasty, exceedingly healthy, and a salad recipe that’s very simple to make. Before I show you though, a quick word about pearl barley.
Pearl barley grains
Pearl barley is edible warm or cold and is great for salads. It can also be used as a substitute for rice. Pearl barley is packed full of nutrients but its main health benefit is its fibre content. Pearly barely has more fibre than rice which helps fight off heart disease and diabetes. It can also help reduce cholesterol and support colon health. One other great benefit of high fibre is that it stops you feeling hungry due to its slow energy release qualities. This can help lose weight. Pearly barley is very close to being a superfood ????.
Ok, let’s get on and make this braised carrot pearl barley salad…
1. Gather all of the ingredients together
Although there is some cooking to be done to make this salad there are still only 7 ingredients, plus a little oil and seasoning. All that’s needed is pearl barley, baby carrots, shallots, garlic, fennel seeds, parsley and the zest from one lemon. Easy!
Gather the ingredients together
The ingredient measurements are provided in the printable recipe below and serve enough salad for at least 8 people. Remember though, pearl barley is very filling so if this salad is being served as a side dish then holding back a little on the amount of barley may be prudent.
2. Prepare the ingredients
There is hardly any preparation required for this recipe. Take the zest from the lemon, finely chop the garlic, peel and quarter the shallots, and slice the baby carrots. I slice the carrots lengthways so the vegetable is still quite large. However, thin strips are also ok just remember that they will need less cooking.
Prepare the ingredients
3. Braise the vegetables
Whether the vegetables are braised or roasted really doesn’t matter here. Personally, I like to brown them slightly on the stove before putting in the oven but either way is fine.
If braising, take the carrots, and shallots and place in a large roasting tray. Add the oil and heat these on a stove and cook for a couple of minutes or so. As soon as the vegetables start to colour remove from the stove and mix in the garlic, lemon zest and fennel seeds.
Mix the vegetable and oil together
Place the roasting tray in a preheated oven at 200C / 180C Fan for 30-40 minutes until the carrots are cooked. Toss or stir the vegetables every 10 minutes or so just to mix the flavours and stop the garlic from burning.
4. Cook the pearl barley
The pearl barley is simply boiled. First, wash the grains and then place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Remember that pearl barley, similar to rice, will absorb a lot of the water and expand in size. Make sure, therefore, the pan used is at least double the size of the that which the barley fills.
Place the pan on the stove and bring to the boil. Now, simmer for around 30 minutes or until the barley is al dente. Once cooked, remove from the stove and strain in a sieve.
5. Complete the braised carrot pearl barley salad and serve
Once the vegetables and pearl barley are cooked add the barley to the vegetables and mix together.
Add the pearl barley
Season this to taste and then add the chopped parsley and mix in.
Sprinkle with roughly chopped parsley
This salad is now ready to serve warm if you like. Otherwise, let it cool and serve when required. Either way, this is a yummy salad and will be thoroughly enjoyed by all.
And that’s about it folks. Braised carrot pearl barley salad. A wonderfully healthy and delicious salad that can be served as part of a barbeque banquet or as a great lunch on a workday. Just make the day before. Also, perfect if on a vegan diet. Yum!
I do hope you enjoyed this post. If you’d like to be kept up to date with all of The Yum Yum Club’s recipes just sign up to our newsletter at the top of the page. Otherwise, you can follow us on Facebook or Pinterest by simply clicking the link and pressing “follow”.
As always, many thanks for reading and until next time… Steve.
6. Nutritional values
7. Printable recipe
Braised carrot pearl barley salad. A delicious and healthy recipe. Perfect if on a vegan diet or just want a tasty salad at any time. Yum! Yum!
- 3.5 cups baby carrots, sliced down the middle Metric 300 grams
- 4 long shallots, quartered
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 cups pearl barley Metric 200 grams
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Zest from one lemon
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First, gather all of the ingredients together.
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Finely chop the garlic, peel and quarter the shallots, and slice lengthways the baby carrots. Also roughly chop the parsley and take the zest from one lemon.
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Add the oil to a large roasting tray and add the shallots and carrots. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
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Place the roasting tray on a hob and heat until the vegetables start to cook. As soon as the vegetables start to colour remove from the heat and add the garlic, lemon zest and fennel seeds. Now, place the roasting tray in a pre-heated oven at 200C / 180C Fan and finish braising for 30-40 minutes, or until the carrots and cooked. Toss occasionally.
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While the vegetables are cooking wash the pearl barley and place in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes to until the barley is al dente.
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When both the vegetables and pearl barley are cooked mix together and allow to cool (this salad can also be served warm).
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Finish by adding the chopped parsley to the salad.
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And that's it. Serve the salad as a lunch snack or as a side dish to a larger meal. This recipe is great for a BBQ banquet. Yum!
You can also add some blue cheese to this salad. Simply crumble it over the to add a great flavour combination.
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