This bright lemon, basil and barley salad is ideal as a summer side or a light main. If you enjoy grain-based salads, it’s a great addition to your next barbecue.
Don’t just use barley for stews! It’s great in salads too!
Pearl barley is often overlooked as a summer ingredient, usually reserved for soups and stews. But it works wonderfully in salads, delivering a pleasantly chewy texture and satisfying bite. This lemon, basil and pearl barley salad is one of my favourite ways to enjoy it—fresh, bright and filling.
Barley salads are so satisfying – You won’t be hungry afterwards!
Grain salads make hearty, nutritious meals that keep you full for longer. This barley salad is delicious served on its own as a light main, or as a vegan-friendly side dish. It stores well, so it’s perfect for batch cooking: make extra and enjoy leftovers for lunch or pack it for work.
It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days and scales easily—just increase the quantities if you want to serve more people.
The inspiration for this barley salad
I first made this dish in 2015 as part of a recipe exchange. The idea came from a basil, pine nut and barley salad, which I adapted by using sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts and serving the salad chilled rather than warm. I dry-toast the seeds to keep the recipe lighter while still getting plenty of crunchy texture.
At first I didn’t expect much, but the combination of tangy lemon, fresh basil, chewy pearl barley and toasted seeds is unexpectedly delightful. The mix of textures and bright flavours makes it a real crowd-pleaser.
How could you adapt this pearl barley salad?
This salad is very flexible. Swap the sunflower seeds for other nuts or seeds—cashews or peanuts work nicely. Try lime and coriander instead of lemon and basil for a different citrus-herb profile. You can also substitute another grain, such as spelt, farro or rice, if you prefer. Recipes are meant to be adapted to your tastes and pantry.
Recipe
Lemon, Basil and Barley Salad
Corina Blum
Ingredients
- 100 g pearl barley
- 50 g sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp basil chopped
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
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Rinse and boil the pearl barley until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and leave to cool.
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Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan over low–medium heat, shaking the pan often so they colour evenly. When golden, remove from the heat and cool on a plate.
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Combine the cooled barley, toasted seeds, chopped basil, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with black pepper and adjust lemon or oil to taste. Serve immediately or chill and serve later.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 44g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 27g
Fiber: 9g
More Healthy Grain salad recipes
If you enjoy grain salads, here are a few other vegetarian options from my collection. They all make great batch-cooking meals.
If you’re a barley fan, try the curried pearl barley salad from the same collection. Also check the main meal salads for more filling recipes.
Keep in touch
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out. I always appreciate feedback from readers.
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