Nut-Free Zesty Mediterranean Barley Salad
Brighten up your mealtime with this Nut-Free Zesty Mediterranean Barley Salad, a wholesome and vibrant dish that’s packed with colorful vegetables, bold flavors, and heart-healthy ingredients. Featuring tender pearl barley as the base, this salad combines crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell pepper, tangy Kalamata olives, and aromatic fresh herbs like parsley and oregano for a Mediterranean-inspired medley. The zesty dressing, made with lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and a hint of ground cumin, ties everything together beautifully. Perfectly nut-free and easy to prepare in under an hour, this refreshing salad is ideal for family dinners, potlucks, or as a light yet satisfying lunch. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a burst of sunshine on your plate!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearl barley
- 3 cups Water
- 1 medium (diced) Cucumber
- 1 cup (halved) Cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium (diced) Red bell pepper
- 0.5 medium (finely diced) Red onion
- 0.5 cup (pitted and halved) Kalamata olives
- 0.25 cup (finely chopped) Fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon (finely chopped) Fresh oregano
- 3 tablespoons Lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 1 clove (minced) Garlic
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
- 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
Rinse the pearl barley under cold water using a fine mesh strainer.
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the barley and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Cover the saucepan and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the barley is tender and all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let it cool to room temperature.
While the barley is cooling, prepare the vegetables. Dice the cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion; halve the cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Finely chop the parsley and oregano.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled barley, diced vegetables, cherry tomatoes, olives, parsley, and oregano.
Pour the dressing over the barley mixture and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice if desired.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
1521 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 76.0 g | 97% | |
| Saturated Fat | 10.5 g | 52% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 2683 mg | 117% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 195.8 g | 71% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 46.6 g | 166% | |
| Total Sugars | 17.2 g | ||
| Protein | 25.6 g | 51% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 353 mg | 27% | |
| Iron | 12.5 mg | 69% | |
| Potassium | 1794 mg | 38% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
