Mochi Mugi Pearled Barley Quick Salad is the perfect side for any get-together!
Want something quick and easy to make for your next event or gathering? During get-togethers, cookouts, dinners, and parties it’s easy to overindulge which can cause months of damage control. No one wants to sacrifice flavor for a healthy dish, but you don’t have to with this delicious Barley Salad.
- 1/2 cup dry quick-cooking Mochi Mugi Pearled Barley BUY NOW>
- 2 cups of butternut squash cut in small cubes- Precut or Frozen
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/3 cup Red onion (about half a small onion)
- 2 Plum Tomatoes
- 1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries.
- 1 can Corn (15oz)
- 1 can Black Beans (15oz)
- 1/4 cup cups Sunflower Seeds- optional
Mochi Mugi Pearled Barley Quick Salad Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 TBSP White Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Garlic clove finely minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 TBSP Agave syrup
- 2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Prepare the quick-cooking pearled barley according to the cooking method on the package. Then drain and set aside to cool.
- Spread the butternut squash on a baking sheet, lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with Salt and pepper. Put in the oven while prepping the other ingredients. The squash is done when it is slightly brown and crispy, about 25 minutes.
- Finely dice the red onion and plum tomatoes put them into a large salad bowl. Add dried cranberries to the tomato and onion mix. Drain the corn and begin roasting it, super simple: place it into a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil, continue cooking it on med-high heat until it becomes slightly brown, then add to the onion mixture bowl.
- Drain and add the Black beans to the bowl of other ingredients. Add the quick-cooking pearl barley bowl and mix all the ingredients together, the butternut squash should be roasted. Add that to the bowl as well.
- Add the sunflower seeds for a little crunch.
- Set the salad aside and move on to the dressing at this point. I like to use a mason jar because it makes the mixing so easy put the olive oil, garlic, water, mustard, and white wine vinegar in the mason jar and shake it up.
- This will make a little extra dressing, I usually add 1/4 of the dressing to the salad. Add salt and pepper to taste and there you have it.
NOTE: If you’re not using quick-cooking pearled barley like Mochi Mugi, but rather, the usual stuff you buy at the store, I recommend soaking your grains a day before. That makes cooking with traditional pearled barley SO much easier when considering that NOBODY has time to wait 60 minutes anymore.
