Barley Salad with Lemon and Herbs

I had never really eaten barley other than in soup before I tried this recipe. It is an adaptation of a recipe from the cookbook, Clean Food by Terry Walters. Barley is a great food for reducing cholesterol, is easy to digest, and helps detox the liver. While I used pearl barley because it is what I had on hand, just as with any other grain, whole barley is superior to pearl barley because it is minimally processed and more of the nutritional value remains available. This salad makes a great stand alone vegetarian meal on a hot summer day or a great side to a family picnic.

Barley Salad with Lemon and Herbs

1 cup whole or pearl barley

2 1/4 cups vegetable stock

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 to 1 cup diced tomato

1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives

dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Soak barley in water for at least 1 hour. Drain and cook with stock until tender and liquid is absorbed. While barley is cooking, whisk together dressing ingredients. Remove cooked barley, fluff with a fork, and put into a large serving bowl. Add diced tomato, green onion slices, and olives. Coat with dressing and refrigerate in covered bowl until cool.