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Mediterranean Barley Salad with Green Beans, Red Bell Pepper, Olives and Feta in serving bowl with serving spoon garnished with fresh parsley.
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5 from 5 votes

Mediterranean Barley Salad

This fresh, crunchy, healthy Mediterranean Barley Salad is the perfect salad to add to your meal prep routine! Full of crunchy vegetables like green beans and red bell pepper, it stays fresh, flavorful and is super versatile! Add protein with tuna, chicken or keep it vegetarian with chickpeas for a well-rounded grab-and-go lunch!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Side Dishes - Salads
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: Diabetic, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 8 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (approximately heaping cups)
  • 1 cup pearled barley uncooked
  • 1 large red bell pepper cut into thin strips approximately 1-inch long
  • 1/2 medium red onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish

Instructions

  • Prepare an ice bath. Bring a saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Add the green beans. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bright green and still crisp-tender. Keep the water at a boil.
  • Remove the beans with a small sieve or slotted spoon and transfer to the ice bath to cool. Drain and place on paper towels to dry.
  • Add the barley and cook until tender following package directions.* Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold running water to cool. Drain thoroughly.
  • Combine the barley, green beans, red bell pepper, olives and feta cheese in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust acidity as desired.
  • Pour vinaigrette over the salad, add the parsley and stir. Garnish with additional chopped parsley.

Notes

*I used Bob's Red Mill pearled barley which took 30 minutes to cook.  Other brands may not take as long.
MAKE AHEAD:
  • Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
  • Cook the green beans and barley as directed.  Combine with the other ingredients, stir and refrigerate.
  • Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and refrigerate separately.
  • When ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette over the salad, stir, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1121IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 2mg