Bring together the rich, diverse flavors of the Mediterranean in a nutritious and satisfying way with my Mediterranean Barley Salad recipe. Add fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and a zesty lemon-oregano dressing, to a hearty barley base, for a burst of color and flavors. Tantalize your taste buds, while providing a nourishing boost of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Use up more of the cooked barley by using it in my Chicken Wild Rice Salad, replacing the wild rice.
Make more Mediterranean flavored dishes by trying my Greek Chicken with Lemon Rice, Bruschetta Shrimp Pasta or Greek Lamb Meatballs recipes.
Ingredients
Find below the list of ingredients I used to make my Mediterranean Barley Salad.
- Cooked Barley (Pot Barley or Pearl Barley)
- Cucumber
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Bell Pepper
- Kalamata Olives
- Red Onion
- Feta Cheese
- Fresh Dill
- Fresh Parsley
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Dijon Mustard
- White Wine Vinegar
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by following the instructions on the package to cook the barley. Make sure that the barley is drained and cooled before making the Mediterranean Barley Salad.
Prepare the vegetables by chopping them all in bite-sized pieces.
Place the fresh veggies with the olives and feta cheese on top of the cooled barley in a large bowl.
Make the salad dressing by adding all of its ingredients to a small bowl.
Whisk the dressing until smooth and comes together.
Add the fresh dill and parsley to the salad. Mix until all ingredients are well distributed.
Pour dressing over the salad and stir until well combined. Chill the salad until ready to serve.
Substitutions
- Pearl Barley vs Pot Barley - Use Pearl Barley or Pot Barley, as long as you follow the specified instructions on the package, since Pot Barley will take longer to cook.
- Olives - Add your favorite kind of olive to the Mediterranean Barley Salad, any type will work great.
- Vegetables - Replace or even add any of the veggies, like celery, radis, broccoli or cauliflower.
- Grains - Try using a different grain in this recipes, like brown Farrow or Brown Rice.
Storage
Store any remaining Mediterranean Barley Salad in an airtight container. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can freeze cooked barley on its own, but we do not recommend freezing the prepared salad, due to the fresh veggies.
Recipe
Mediterranean Barley Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups Cooked Barley cooled
- ½ small Red Onion finely diced
- 1 large Bell Pepper diced
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Cucumber diced
- ⅓ cup Kalamata Olives
- ½ cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
- 3 tablespoon Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Dill finely chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon White White Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1½ tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Dry Oregano
Instructions
- Start by following the instructions on the package to cook the barley. Make sure that the barley is drained and cooled before making salad.
- Measure out 3 cups of the cooled barley into a large bowl. Place all of the other salad ingredients on top of the barley. Stir everything to combine.
- Make the dressing by combining all of its ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Slowly pour half of the the dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Add the rest of the dressing and stir again.
- Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Pearl Barley is simply a more polished and refined barley, and will cook a little faster. (Think white rice vs brown rice.)
- Pot Barley still has most of its bran layer intact since it only had its outer husk removed, making it more flavorful, but will take longer to cook.
- Since the barley in this recipe is precooked for the salad, any which type of barley can be used, as long as you follow the instructions on the package.
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