Barley Salad with Tomatoes, Feta & Basil

1. Place barley in a saucepan with 1.5 L (6 cups) water, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 25–40 minutes or until just tender. Drain well.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a pan with a drizzle of oil for a few minutes until they become golden brown. Set aside.
3. To make the DRESSING: place garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a screw-top jar and shake well.
4. Place the cooked barley in a large mixing bowl and pour over dressing, add basil and toss gently to combine.
5. Add olives, tomatoes, rocket and feta cheese. Sprinkle with pine nuts just before serving.

VARIATIONS

• Use pesto in place of fresh basil in the dressing

• Use bocconcini cheese in place of feta cheese

• Add avocado or roasted capsicum

• Use spelt berries or freekah in place of barley

• For a gluten free option, replace barley with a mixture of buckwheat and quinoa

• For a vegan version, replace feta with a vegan cheese or omit altogether and add extra pine nuts

COOK’S TIPS

● To cook barley in the pressure cooker, add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of barley and cook under pressure for 5 minutes.

● Given that olives and feta are quite salty, there is no need to add salt to this salad.

● Barley is full of soluble fibre, which can lower your cholesterol, and resistant starch, to lower your bowel cancer risk and feed the good bacteria in your gut.

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