Grains are our friends! The science says that eating whole grains can help us live longer and they certainly are a big part of a plant-based diet. So, this Barley Bean Salad with Cauliflower Rice is a nutritional powerhouse that you should add to your favorite recipes.
Not only does this recipe have cauliflower, but also fresh kale making it one of the SUPER super salads! Making cauliflower into "rice" is super easy. Just put the raw cauliflower into a food process and process a few seconds until you have the "rice."
Barley seems to be underrated and rice and quinoa, the stars the last few years, but with some rice containing arsenic, barley is a great alternate choice. It adds a but of chewiness to this salad and it's chockfull of fiber, selenium, B vitamins, copper, chromium, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, and more.
The addition of Kalmata olives gives it a saltiness that you often get from some cheeses. If you are on a low-salt diet you'll want to use these judiciously. The nuts are optional, as well, but more research data is showing that some nuts and seeds are quite healthy in moderation. It all depends on where you are in your health journey. As with all the recipes on this site, please adjust to your particular dietary needs.
One of the cool things I did was make this salad with leftover barley from a stuffed pepper recipe I'd made the day before. Making extra of any grains you're cooking is a great time-saving strategy and gets you out of the kitchen faster. Maybe it's barley in your soup one day and this salad, the next.
I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Barley Bean Salad with Cauliflower Rice! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
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| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/2 cups barley, cooked according to package
- 1/2 cup pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cauliflower riced (see instructions below)
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion diced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked in water to rehydrate
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, seeded and cut in half
- 1/2 cup pistacios, or use your favorite nut or seed
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbl rice vinegar or white wine or champagne
- 2 tsp maple syrup
Ingredients
Dressing
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- Add cooled barley to a large bowl.
- To rice the cauliflower, put 3-4 cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse a few times until it's the size of rice.
- Add the cauliflower rice, beans, kale, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, olives, nuts or seeds to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Add salt & pepper to taste. Toss all and serve on a bed of lettuce.
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