Name: Toasted Barley & Shrimp Salad Recipe
Prep time: 2017-10-22T00:15:00+00:00
Total time: 2017-10-22T01:05:00+00:00
Yield: Makes 6 cups
Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil; 1 cup pearl barley; 5 cups water; 3/4 lb. large shrimp, peeled & deveined; 1/2 tsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary; 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded & diced; 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded & diced; 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary; 1/8 tsp garlic powder; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

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Work some whole grains into your lunch with this make-ahead toasted barley and shrimp salad recipe. It’s healthy, tasty and packed with fiber!

The only way I can avoid the eat-everything-in-the-fridge trap during the lunch hour is by having a plan. Okay, that pretty much applies to the whole day. Hunger along with an empty fridge leads to pantry rummaging, which inevitably leads to smearing Nutella on graham crackers for lunch, blowing the good mojo I had from my morning run.

So, I load the fridge with healthy leftovers, such as last night’s Chipotle White Chicken Chili or our favorite Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa.

If it’s not leftovers, then it’s something easy, such as a 10-Minute Hummus & Greek Salad Naan, Low-Fat Salmon Salad Sandwich or this make-ahead barley and shrimp salad.

Yes, the barley takes a bit of time to cook, but if you do it the night before, you’ll have a fiber-packed whole grain salad waiting for you at lunchtime. And since the recipe makes 6 cups, I daresay that you’ll have lunch for a couple of days.

While the salad is studded with red and yellow bell peppers, adding some dark, leafy greens will do your body good. Place a scoop of the barley salad on top of a bed of spinach or romaine lettuce.

The recipe:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the barley and toast, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in the water.

Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the barley is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain and transfer the barley to a bowl.

In a medium bowl, toss together the shrimp, olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp until just cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Mix the shrimp into the barley, along with the red and yellow bell pepper.

The dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and dried rosemary. While whisking, gradually pour in the olive oil until combined.

Add the dressing and parsley to the barley mixture and stir to combine. Serve.

Other recipes with barley:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Lean Bison & Barley Soup with Green Peas
Cookin’ Canuck’s Barley Stew with Caramelized Onions, White Beans & Spinach
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Lentil & Barley Greek-Style Salad with Tomatoes, Feta & Capers
Weelicious’ Mushroom Barley
Fifteen Spatulas’ Tomato Cucumber Barley Salad