Green Barley Salad
Here's a delish and quick throw together salad packed with powerful ingredients.
If I'm going to have any carbohydrates, it's best to make the most of it and go with whole unprocessed grains and what better way for your body to process it than with a lot of veggies to boot. You can really toss whatever you want into this salad but try to have a 50/50 balance of grain and vegetable and all of the different textures and sizes make for a delicious eat.
Here's what you need:
- (1) 8.8 ounce Bag of Barley (I love the Trader Joe's 10 minute Barley bags)
- 2 Zucchini's
- 1 cup of Fresh Spinach, Chopped and Packed
- 5 Large Mint Leaves Chopped/Julienned
- 1/8 cup Pine Nuts
- 1 Large Shallot
- 3 Cloves of Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Ok, let's get started!
Start by boiling a pot of water and follow the normal instructions for cooking up your barley. While the barely is cooking, let's take care of the veggies.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet pan to medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil. While that's heatin' up, chop up your shallot and garlic and toss it into the pan with a little salt and pepper. As those soften up and cook, dice up your zucchini into small 1/4 inch dice or to what ever size/shape your heart desires.
Once the shallot and garlic are soft and fragrant, add in the zucchini and give them a light grill for about 3-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain your barely and put into a salad bowl. Once your zucchini is cooked to your desired state, combine the ingredients from the skillet to the bowl of barely.
Leave the medium-high heat on the pan and toss your pine nuts into the pan for a light toast to release the buttery nutty flavors.
While the pine nuts are toasting add 1/8 cup of olive oil, your chopped spinach and mint.
When the pine nuts are nice and toasty, add them to your salad bowl and toss with the desired amount of salt and pepper and enjoy.
Salad is awesome served warm or cold!
