Lisa Woodward, our Demo Coordinator, came up with this recipe for her team to use in stores. Serves 8.
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 ½ cups pearled barley
- 4 cups vegetable stock or water
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
- ½ cup basil, roughly chopped
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, whole or part skim
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When hot, pour in barley and stir to coat with oil. Continue to stir and allow barley to brown and toast slightly. Do not let it burn.
When barley is browned, pour in stock and stir. Place lid on pot, turn temperature to medium low and allow barley to cook for about 35-45 minutes. The cooked barley should be tender yet firm. Any unabsorbed liquid can be drained. When done, set aside.
While barley is cooking, in a bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic and mustard. While continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the vinegar mixture. Once fully combined, pour this mixture over the hot cooked barley and toss to coat. Allow barley to cool completely.
Once cooled, give barley a quick stir to break up clumps and add tomatoes, scallions, basil and mozzarella. Toss well to combine. Refrigerate or serve at room temperature.