Sugar-Free Zesty Mediterranean Barley Salad
Elevate your mealtime with this Sugar-Free Zesty Mediterranean Barley Salad, a wholesome and vibrant dish that's packed with flavors and nutrients. Featuring tender pearl barley as the hearty base, this salad bursts with the crispness of cucumber, the juiciness of cherry tomatoes, and the bold flavors of Kalamata olives and fresh herbs like parsley and mint. A zesty homemade dressing of lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and extra virgin olive oil ties everything together beautifully. Perfect as a light lunch, refreshing side dish, or make-ahead meal, this sugar-free Mediterranean delight is easy to prepare in under an hour and is best served cold or at room temperature for peak flavor.
Log this recipe in SnapCalorie
Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearl barley
- 3 cups Water
- 1 medium Cucumber
- 1.5 cups Cherry tomatoes
- 0.5 medium Red onion
- 0.5 cup Kalamata olives
- 0.5 cup Fresh parsley
- 0.25 cup Fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Lemon juice
- 1 clove Garlic
- 0.5 teaspoons Ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoons Salt
- 0.25 teaspoons Black pepper
Instructions
Rinse the pearl barley under cold water to remove any debris.
In a medium saucepan, combine the pearl barley and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the barley is tender and has absorbed most of the water.
Drain any excess water, fluff the barley with a fork, and let it cool to room temperature.
While the barley cools, prepare the vegetables. Dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the red onion, and slice the Kalamata olives.
Roughly chop the parsley and mint leaves, setting aside a small amount of parsley for garnish if desired.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled barley, prepared vegetables, chopped herbs, and olives.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Serve cold or at room temperature, garnished with reserved parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
1534 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 76.4 g | 98% | |
| Saturated Fat | 10.4 g | 52% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 2698 mg | 117% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 200.3 g | 73% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 49.9 g | 178% | |
| Total Sugars | 18.2 g | ||
| Protein | 28.4 g | 57% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 539 mg | 41% | |
| Iron | 18.3 mg | 102% | |
| Potassium | 2208 mg | 47% | |
*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.
