Black Barley Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Avocado Puree
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Black barley is one of my favourite wholegrains but it isn’t so well known, which unfortunately makes it a little harder to source. If your in Sydney then you won’t have any troubles as it’s in Harris Farm and most high end providores but even up around Byron Bay where everyone is obsessed with whole foods they still don’t know what this grain is so I order mine online through a company called the essential ingredient, they deliver right across Australia. If you can’t be bothered with the hassle then simply sub the black barley out for the ordinary stuff.
Leftovers
This recipe makes a decent amount so when not feeding four you’ll have plenty of leftovers for two.
What you'll need
2 cups of black barley
1 packet of heirloom baby tomatoes
1 packet of red cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of basil
1/2 a red onion
1/2 cup of walnuts
2 large ripe avocados
2 limes
From the Pantry
olive oil
salt and pepper
Prep and Cook
Cook Barley
Rinse barley in a sieve under cold water then transfer to a large pot with around 8 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring up to the boil then turn slightly down to a gentle boil. Cook for 15 minutes then check to see how soft the barley is, cook for longer if needed but you want to drain it while there is still a very slight crunch as the barley will continue to cook while it cools. I find pearl barley cooks faster than the packet instructions say.
Once the barley is cooked to a nutty consistency (similar in texture to how I like my brown rice) strain and spread out on a tray to cool quickly.
Prep Salad
Slice all the tomatoes in half.
Peel and finely slice the red onion.
Pick basil leaves discarding the stalks.
Roughly chop walnuts.
Make Avocado Puree
Scoop the flesh of the avocados into a small food processor along with the juice of both limes and two tablespoons of olive oil, along with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Process until smooth.
Plate it Pretty
I have served the salad up in a large bowl with the avocado puree on the side, but to plate it up from there take a couple of large spoonfuls of the avocado puree and smear it across the top of your serving plates. Then toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl with a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and a fresh sprinkling of sea salt flakes, then take a couple of large handfuls and gently make a scattering pile just slightly of centred from the avocado.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
Are you bulking lunch up with brown rice? or having a shake today?