Barley Salad with Roasted Vegetables is a healthy, hearty and colorful side dish made with chewy pearl barley, tender roasted vegetables, fresh herbs and a bright lemon vinaigrette. It’s fresh enough for a spring and summer meal, cozy in cooler weather, and good enough for a vegetarian lunch.
Why You’ll Love This Barley Salad
This Roasted Vegetable Barley Salad is full of texture, flavor, and healthy ingredients. It’s easy to customize with whatever vegetables you have on hand, and it tastes even better once the flavors are mixed together.
You’ll love this recipe because:
- It’s plentiful, fresh and satisfying.
- Great for meal prep
- Perfect served warm or cold.
- There are plenty of grilled vegetables.
- easy customization
- Delicious side dish or vegetarian lunch
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and adds a rich flavor to every bite. Combining nutty barley, creamy feta cheese, and a simple homemade dressing, this easy grain salad is perfect for meal prep, potlucks, and picnics and served with grilled chicken, salmon, or burgers.
Tips for the Best Barley Salad
Don’t Overcook the Barley
The barley should be soft but still slightly chewy. If overcooked, barley can become mushy and mushy in salads.
Cut vegetables evenly
Cut vegetables into similarly sized pieces so they roast at the same rate.
Make space for your vegetables
Spread vegetables evenly on baking sheet. Overcrowding the pan may cause steaming instead of caramelization.
Add fresh herbs before serving
Fresh herbs add life to salads. If you add it after the vegetables have cooled slightly, they will retain their vitality.
Save some feta for the top.
For a prettier presentation, save some feta cheese to sprinkle on top of the salad just before serving.
easy transformation
Add chickpeas
Stir in a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas for an extra plant-based protein and filling lunch.
Add chicken or salmon
Top your salad with grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or slices of salmon for a simple dinner.
Switch up your vegetables
Try roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, asparagus, or pumpkin.
Make it vegan
Skip the feta cheese or use a dairy-free feta cheese alternative. Add some toasted nuts or seeds for richness.
Add vegetables
Just before serving, add arugula, spinach, kale, or microgreens.
Meal Preparation and Storage
Store barley salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. 4 days.
This salad is delicious cold, but you can warm it up a bit in the microwave before serving. After storage, adding a little lemon juice or olive oil will refresh the taste.
For the best texture, add fresh herbs, feta cheese, and crunchy toppings just before serving.
More delicious vegetarian dishes:
Barley salad with roasted vegetables
This barley salad is full of texture, flavor, and healthy ingredients! It makes a hearty and healthy side dish or vegetarian meal.
Serving Size: 6
- Add pearl barley and vegetable broth or water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the barley is tender and still chewy. Drain any remaining liquid, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.Add broccoli, mushrooms, red bell peppers, red onion, and corn to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Toss until evenly coated.
Roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and edges are slightly caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes.
In a small bowl or jar, mix olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Place cooked barley and roasted vegetables in a large bowl. Pour the lemon vinaigrette on top and toss until everything is evenly coated.Add the feta cheese, parsley, basil, or mint, if using, and fold in the toasted nuts or seeds.
Serve the salad warm, at room temperature, or cold. If desired, squeeze additional lemon juice or sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.
