Barley Salad that’s Delicious served Warm or Cold

This garden-inspired, dairy-free barley salad is a great way to spring into the season. It’s made with whole grains, filled with vegetables, and dressed with a light but flavorful vinaigrette. I would describe it as a Mediterranean style dish that’s a bit like Greek salad, but with a few hearty and flavorful twists. It’s also highly versatile, and can be delicious with whatever’s in season.

Dairy-Free Barley Salad with a Bowlful of Nutrition

This dairy-free barley salad recipe was created and submitted by Kim Van Dunk about a decade ago. We’ve updated her recipe and have added some options in the FAQs below.

Can I Cook the Barley in Broth?

You can certainly use broth or stock if you want to add a little more flavor to the barley itself, but it isn’t required. Kim actually used milk alternative, but the type she used is no longer available. And we prefer the clean taste of the barley when cooked with clear liquids rather than milky ones.

Do You Have a Gluten-Free Alternative to Recommend?

Barley does contain gluten, so it is best to avoid for gluten-free needs. I like whole grain sorghum as a substitute for barley. It’s equivalently high in fiber and protein, and has a similar, slightly nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture. You could simply substitute brown rice, but it will provide a different vibe.

I’m out of Balsamic. What can I Substitute for that Vinegar?

You can use another flavorful vinegar, like apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or a wine vinegar. If preferred, you can substitute fresh lemon juice for the balsamic vinegar. These substitutes will change the overall flavor a little, but will still pair well with the ingredients in this dairy-free barley salad.

I Hate Raisins. Can I Omit them?

You can omit the raisins, but they do add nice contrast in this barley salad. Consider substituting dried cranberries (like Craisins) or fresh pomegranate arils, for a different twist. If you aren’t a fan of sweet with savory, pine nuts, sliced almonds, or sunflower seeds are nice additions that add more heft to this dish. Or you could toss in some chopped black, green, or kalamata olives to mix things up!

What Can I Substitute for the Kale?

You can use other leafy greens, like baby spinach, arugula, or watercress. For a different twist, try some chopped fresh herbs, like parsley or a blend of parsley with some basil or oregano.

What Can I Use instead of Sweet Potato?

The sky is the limit when it comes to substituting vegetables in this dairy-free barley salad. If you don’t want to deal with any cooking, I would substitute cucumber for the sweet potato. Other options include cooked summer squash, like zucchini or yellow squash, mushrooms (cooked or raw), leftover roasted new potatoes.

Special Diet Notes: Barley Salad

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. Note that barley is wheat-free, but not gluten-free. See the post above for great gluten-free options.

Kim Van Dunk

Dairy-Free Barley Salad

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This garden inspired barley bowl is filled with spring produce and a delightful vinaigrette. If time permits, refrigerate it for 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors time to develop. This recipe makes 4 filling vegan lunches or serves 8 to 10 people as a side dish. The nutrition facts are for the meal size portion.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 514

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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• 4 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked pearled barley rinsed
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas defrosted
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup finely chopped kale leaves
• ¾ cup raisins
• 2¼ cups diced cooked sweet potato see Sweet Potato Note below

Method

 

1. Place the water and dry barley in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil. Keep an eye as it can foam up and boil over. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the barley simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the barley is soft, but still has a slight chewy texture. Drain the barley. Return it to the pot, off the heat, and cover. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic salt, and pepper.
3. Fluff the cooked barley with a fork. Stir in the peas, carrot, onion, kale, and raisins.
4. Add the vinaigrette to the barley salad and stir well to coat the ingredients.
5. Gently fold the sweet potatoes into the barley salad.
6. Serve warm or chill the salad by covering and refrigerating it for 1 hour or more. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipeCalories: 514kcalCarbohydrates: 87.7gProtein: 10.2gFat: 15.5gSaturated Fat: 2.2gSodium: 336mgFiber: 14gSugar: 28.3g

Notes

Sweet Potato Note: You can use leftover cooked sweet potato or cook it fresh. To roast, preheat your oven to 425ºF. Peel and cut a sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toss with a small drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Spread the pieces out so they are not touching. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft, but not overly browned. Alternatively, you can pierce the whole sweet potato a few times, and microwave it on high for 5 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness). Let it cool, then cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

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I also Recommend this Mushroom Barley Soup!