The flavours of a greek salad are a go-to for me. If I could put feta cheese on everything, I quite literally would - and no, I am not ashamed of this. This greek-inspired barley salad is a great spin on a classic, with a great alternative grain to keep you full and satisfied.
Barley generally takes a relatively long time to cook on stove - I'm talking 50 minutes or so. Now for all my friends with a handy-dandy InstantPot (pssssst.. I have a giveaway on my instagram right now for one), this barley was done in 20 minutes. When I tell you the InstantPot is a time saver, I mean it! The ratio that worked for me was 2:1 - 2 cups water or stock to every 1 cup of barley. Pressure cook the barley on high pressure for 20 minutes, and quick release when done. Perfect every time! I made mine with water, a tablespoon of better than bouillon chicken base, salt and garlic powder.
Greek salads do not need fancy ingredients, or heavy dressings to taste good. I skipped the bottled greek salad dressing, and dressed this with some simple olive oil and lemon juice. With some dill, red chilli flakes, and salt and pepper, you'd be surprised how bright and perfect this greek-inspired barley salad is.
Pro-tip: You can eat this salad as is, but if you are interested in adding protein, a simple grilled chicken, shrimp or even some tuna would be great in or with this salad.
Greek-Inspired Barley Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl barley cooked
- ½ english cucumber deseeded and diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 stalk scallion chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese cubed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flake
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook barley per package instructions, or see my InstantPot method above. Let the barley cool for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper and red chilli flakes. Combine well.Add the barley, chopped vegetables and the scallions and dill. Combine well.
- Add the feta cheese, and gently fold into the salad. Serve room temperature or cold!
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