Ever feel like you could eat a whole other meal after eating a salad? Well, you won’t with this hearty Zucchini & Grains Salad. You might even want to consider it more of a power bowl or side dish. It makes use of delicious summer zucchini, fresh tomatoes and herbs, lemon, salty vegan parmesan and barley grains. This dish fills you up so it works perfectly as a meal for lunch or dinner or serve it in smaller portions alongside your favorite main dish. And since it is a grains salad it also does the trick for meal prepping for your busy lifestyle.
How should you prepare your veggies? I happened to grill mine as I just love that smoky flavor that comes from grilling, but you could also roast these in the oven as well. Heck, you can even serve the zucchini raw if you want to minimize your cooking time.
Barley, one of the most under appreciated grains. Let’s be honest how often do you hear about barley? Maybe a hearty winter soup. Certainly when talking about beer. An off-chance you’ve read the back of your cereal box and realized it is there. Suffice it to say, as a main recipe ingredient, not that often. One of the joys I find with cooking is trying and experiencing new or seldom used ingredients and finding a way to give them new life, thus enter barley.
Barley is loaded with fiber, both soluble and insoluble to aid in gut health. It accelerates digestion movement while also providing food for gut bacteria which then allows for short-chain fatty acids to be produced, which can aid in reducing inflammation in the body. Gut health is essential! It is also rich in vitamins, minerals and plant compounds.
Want some other salad ideas that fill you up? Here you go…
Roasted Cauliflower, Radish & Lentils
Roasted Cauliflower & Kale Salad
Zucchini & Grains Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup barley
- 2 1/2 cups water for added flavor sub vegetable stock (see notes)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2-3 zucchini
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup green olives, whole or sliced
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- drizzle olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Lemon Yogurt Dressing (optional)
- 1/4 cup vegan plain yogurt
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp sumac or zaatar seasoning
Instructions
- Cook your barley following the directions on your package. Most will recommend bring water to a boil, adding the barley, reducing the heat to low & letting it simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes. To add flavor to the barley see notes for adding vegetable stock & garlic.
- While the barley cooks prepare your zucchini by either grilling for 5-6 minutes per side, roasting for about 15minutes at 400°, sauteing for 6-8 minutes or serve raw.
- Prepare the remaining vegetables & herbs, by slicing & chopping as desired.
- Once the barley has cooked, let it cool for about 10 minutes. Tip: Place it in the freezer if you want to serve as a cold salad.
- Assemble the salad by adding the barley, tomatoes, olives, onions & parsley to a large bowl. Toss the salad well to combine. Add shaved or grated vegan parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil & salt & pepper to taste.
- Optional: If making the Lemon Yogurt Dressing whisk together all the ingredients. Serve on the side or add to the salad a bit at a time & toss to incorporate.
