Being known as one of the first cultivated grains, barley has a history of being cultivated around 9000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent. This chewy textured cereal grain has a mild, nutty flavor that will not overpower other flavors.
Barley is a good source of beta-glucan and has minerals, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, etc. which helps to improve blood sugar control and protect and repair cell damage as well.
Carrying more benefits like these, barleys are a force to be reckoned with. Here are 18 delicious recipes to incorporate this boring grain into a meal making something interesting.
1. Vegetable Barley Soup
This old vegetable barley soup is a hands-on dish that is easy to make and delicious at the same time. This soup in which barley is cooked in broth and lots of vegetables is hearty and extremely filling.
Seasoning: garlic powder, white sugar, dried parsley, curry powder, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, salt
Instructions:
Wash all the vegetables thoroughly and chop them separately.
Make a vegetable broth, once done pour it into a large pot to cook.
Add the barley and chopped vegetables together with canned tomato with juice and canned beans.
Add all the seasoning and bring to a boil. Simmer it covered in low heat.
Take the bay leaf out and serve it hot.
Tips:
Use the excess parts of vegetables that cannot be cooked or eaten to make the broth like root ends, peels, skins, stem ends, root clusters, root fibers, etc. It enhances the flavor and the nutritional content.
The thickness of the soup can differ, but it be adjusted either by adding more broth or less barley.
If Hulled barley is being used, soak it a few hours prior, and will have to be cooked more but pearl barley does not need to be soaked as it cooks quickly.
2. Barley Risotto Primavera
This is an easy-to-make recipe that has a burst of flavor, using barley instead of rice in this risotto gives an extra punch of nutritional value. And the creaminess of the dish makes the texture appetizing to the mouth.
Wash the vegetables thoroughly and cut them separately.
Prepare a broth and pour it in a pan still keeping it warm.
Heat vegetable oil and stir-cook carrots, add zucchini and yellow squash, and cook until tender.
Stir-cook onion separately until lightly browned add garlic and thyme. Mix barley into the mixture until lightly toasted,
Pour warm broth into barley mixture and let it simmer until broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Keep adding broth a little at a time, until the barley is tender
Mix in the carrot mixture, butter, and Parmesan cheese until the cheese melts. Season it and serve.
Tips:
Vegetable broth can be used if the dish is being made for vegetarians.
While adding the broth little by little, let the broth be absorbed completely in the barley before adding the next addition of broth.
Greens and other vegetables of choice can be added as per preference.
Butter is an option, oil can also be added if preferred.
Barley is called Orzo in Italian, therefore, Orzotto, an Italian dish similar to risotto is made with pearl barley instead of rice. This is a one-pot dish. It is a perfect vegetarian main dish or works as a side dish as well.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil, onion, orzo or pearl barley, dry white or red wine, mushroom stock or broth, vegetables, cheese, heavy cream, Vinegar or lemon juice, herbs like thyme, parsley and cilantro
Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, herbs
Instructions:
Wash vegetables thoroughly.
Make a mushroom stock or unseasoned broth and set aside.
Sautee the onion in olive oil until translucent.
Add the barley and toast then add the wine and cook until absorbed.
Add the stock gradually, stirring frequently.
Cover and simmer until the stock is absorbed by the barley and becomes tender.
Stir-fry the mushrooms with vegetables, add grated cheese, herbs, heavy cream, and vinegar.
Add some more parmesan, season the orzotto with salt and pepper, garnish, and serve.
Tips:
Use the excess parts of vegetables that cannot be cooked or eaten to make the broth like roots, peels, skins, stems, fibers, etc. It enhances the flavor and the nutritional content of the broth.
Add the herbs while cooking and later garnish it again for more flavor.
4. Toasted Barley with Mushrooms
The nutty taste of the toasted barley combined with the mushrooms works wonders for the filling heart and stomach. The subtle sweetness and zesty flavor of the dish takes the taste buds to another dimension.
Prepare chicken stock. Chop the veggies, remove the stems of the mushrooms cut into wide strips, and set everything aside separately for further use.
Heat olive oil and butter together and toast the barley in it stirring constantly. Once done, add thyme, and chicken stock to simmer all covered. Keep stirring occasionally, once most of the water is absorbed, add the seasoning.
Cook the onions separately in butter until tender before adding the mushrooms and thyme. Cook until the mushrooms turn brown, then season it.
Plate the dish by pouring the barley mix into warm bowls and topping it with the mushroom. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley leaves and serve hot.
Tips:
Seasoning can be adjusted to the requirements of the palate, use unsalted butter for the flexibility of seasoning.
For the mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and baby portobello are also amazing choices for the dish.
Chicken stock can be substituted with beef or vegetable one. And in place of lemon, any other citrus zest can be used.
5. Sausage Barley Soup
Sausage barley soup is an amazing recipe for family time during the winter. The richness of texture and flavor blends together in the warmth of the soup making it a loved choice even during the fall.
Ingredients:
Italian sausage, onion, garlic, chicken broth, carrot, frozen spinach, uncooked pearl barley
Prepare a chicken broth, chop the clean veggies, and keep it aside.
Make an Italian seasoning with dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and dried marjoram.
Stir-fry the onion, and garlic, and then cook the sausage crumbled, until the sausage is evenly brown. Season them with Italian seasoning.
Cook the sausage mixture, chicken broth, carrot, spinach, and barley in a slow cooker.
Tips:
Instead of making oneself, canned chicken broth can also be used to save time but need to make sure that store-bought broth is much higher in sodium than homemade versions.
To make it faster in a pan, cook it until the barley and carrot are tender. However, flavors blend better with the slow cooking method as it will cook in it for a minimum of four to a maximum of eight hours.
Carrot-Mushroom-Barley Stew is a beginner-friendly recipe that is just perfect for the winter. This easy-on-hand dish is flexible from the broth making to the choices of ingredients that make it comfortable to make for the family.
Chop the ingredients. Juice half of the carrots and dice the others. Separate mushroom caps and stems. Set it all aside separately.
Boil the carrot juice, water, and the stems of the mushroom altogether and set aside.
Cook the mushroom caps and barley in olive oil with butter. After the barley is toasted add celery onion, carrot, and seasonings.
Pick the mushroom stems out of the juice and add half the juice mixture in the barley mix to cook till it is almost absorbed in the barley.
Pour the remaining juice mixture with the kale and ginger till the barley and vegetables turn tender
Add more butter and seasoning if required and serve it all hot.
Tips:
Torn mustard green leaves without stems can be used in place of kale.
Ginger gives different flavors when cooked differently, for a stronger palate, add it at last when the vegetable is almost tender; for a milder palate, use it while cooking kale; as for the sensitive ones, use ginger while preparing the barley mix.
7. Barley Lime Fiesta Salad
Barley Lime Fiesta Salad is an amazing dish to serve during potluck because of its ease and flexibility in making and storing. This beautiful-looking salad has a great flavor and texture with the chewy barley.
Ingredients:
Water, pearl barley, canned whole kernel corn, canned black beans, red onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, carrot, celery, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, canola oil, cilantro, light corn syrup, lime juice, lemon juice, distilled white vinegar, onion powder
Seasoning: salt, black pepper, cumin
Instructions:
Boil the barley until tender and then refrigerate till chilled.
Make a vinaigrette by mixing light corn syrup, some canola oil, cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, distilled white vinegar, and onion powder together with water and whisk till emulsify.
Toss refrigerated barley, celery, corn, beans, chipotle pepper, onion, bell peppers, carrots, and oil with the seasonings altogether to make a salad.
Pour the vinaigrette over the tossed salad mixture giving it a good mix. Refrigerate salad until thoroughly chilled before serving it cool.
Tips:
The choice of vinaigrette can be changed and its ingredients can be adjusted as per the preferences.
Try the salad with smoked chicken and bacon sandwich with avocado spread.
The beans and corn can also be boiled before mixing for people with sensitive stomachs.
8. Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie II
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is a classic dish to have. This meatless take on the pie is a comfort due to its Gluten-free, Oil-Free, and Make-Ahead options. It is an easy dish that is simple yet appropriate enough to have during gatherings.
Ingredients:
Vegetable broth, yeast extract spread, dry lentils, pearl barley, carrot, onion, walnuts, potatoes, all-purpose flour water
Seasoning: salt and pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the broth and set aside all the chopped vegetables.
Put lentils and barley with yeast extract in half of the broth, and simmer. Pour remaining broth separately with carrot, onion and walnuts together till tender.
Boil potatoes Al Dente and mash to mix with flour and water into the carrot mixture and let simmer until thick.
Add the carrot mixture with lentil mixture and seasoning and pour into a casserole dish. Top the mashed potatoes over lentil mixture
Bake until lightly browned on top.
Tips:
Nutritional yeast flakes are a great substitution of yeast extract spread.
Some lentils can also be ground for better texture.
Indian Curried Barley Pilav is made from barley, broth, and seasonings and has the option of aromatics. This fluffy dish is a skill to show and easy enough to be a beginner's choice.
Ingredients:
Butter, onion, pearl barley, chicken broth, almonds, raisins.
Seasoning: Jamaica pepper, turmeric, curry powder, salt, black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare chicken broth and silvered almonds.
Stir-fry the onion and barley till the onion is translucent before adding the seasoning.
To make a Pilav, pour the stirred barley into simmering broth to cook till tender.
Fluff it up with a fork, and fold the almonds and raisins in.
Tips:
Roasting the silvered almonds and golden raisins elevates the flavor and enhances the taste while eating.
Raisins and nuts are optional and can be adjusted or substituted with peas, carrots, and roasted ground cumin as per the preferences.
Clarified butter tastes better. But in the case of normal butter, it is recommended to use unsalted ones.
10. Barley Bake
This baking recipe is all about the difference the pine nut makes. This easy and fast-making recipe has a flexible choice of vegetables, that can be altered as per the taste, which makes it a perfect potluck meal.
Ingredients:
Butter, onion, pearl barley, pine nuts, green onions, mushrooms, parsley, salt, pepper, and canned vegetable broth.
Seasoning: salt, pepper, parsley
Instructions:
Wash the greens and veggies well and cut them individually.
Stir-fry in onion, barley, and pine nuts in butter, until barley is lightly browned.
Mix in green onions, mushrooms, and parsley once the barley mix is done.
Mix everything in the vegetable broth, add the seasoning and a little parsley.
Bake in the preheated oven, or until the broth is absorbed making barley tender. Cook's Note: You can use a can of chicken or beef broth and a can of water for a different flavor, instead of vegetable broth.
Tips:
Chicken or beef canned broth can be used to substitute vegetable broth according to the preferences.
Mushrooms are optional and can be skipped if not to the taste.
11. Barley Chicken Casserole
This casserole recipe is a low-cost, easy, and quick-to-prepare dish and is a great choice for the family meal. This dish is suited to enjoy during the lazy fall season due to its process of cooking. But the best part is how a glass of wine works like a charm with the dish.
Ingredients:
Bacon, onion, carrots, mushrooms, chicken stock, barley, bay leaf, green bell pepper, dark meat chicken
Seasoning: salt, black pepper, and dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, parsley),
Instructions:
Prepare the stock, cut the vegetables and meat separately, and save for later.
Fry the bacon until brown, saute the chicken brown, and set aside everything.
Stir-fry onions, carrots, and mushrooms, then add stock, barley, and bay leaf. Season them all and bake them after plating the green bell pepper garnished barley mixture with the chicken on top. Serve it hot and enjoy.
Tips:
Use only the bacon fat to fry and stir-fry everything instead of oil to embody the flavor.
Brussels Sprouts and Barley Soup is the best dish to warm the body up during the fall. Although this soup takes over an hour to make, all the time invested is worth the wait for this mouthwatering taste.
Ingredients:
Chicken broth, green beans, turnips, leeks, carrots, barley, Brussels sprouts, green bell pepper, butter, all-purpose flour
Seasoning: salt, black pepper
Instructions:
Make a chicken broth and lower the heat to keep it boiling.
Add the beans, turnips, leeks, carrots, and barley and cover to simmer.
Uncover to add the Brussels sprouts and green pepper with seasoning and let it keep simmering to soften the sprouts.
After the sprouts are cooked, melt the butter until it starts to brown. Mix the flour in and whisk it until a smooth paste is formed.
Pour the paste into the soup and let it simmer until the soup thickens.
Tips:
Before adding sprouts, let the barley and vegetables simmer for half an hour to extract the taste of the ingredients and incorporate them within each other.
13. Kerry's Beany Salad
This bean salad is one of the easiest recipes to make which requires little to no cooking. It can be made in less than fifteen minutes to maximum of one hour with all the available ingredients.
Ingredients:
Pearl barley, white rice, canned black beans, canned kidney beans, whole corn kernels, green onions, red bell pepper, cilantro, lettuce, red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil
Seasoning: chili powder, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper.
Instructions:
Sort the clean vegetables out and prepare a clean mixing bowl.
Cook rice and barley separately by boiling them until tender and then set them aside to cool.
Then mix the barley, rice, black beans, kidney beans, corn, onions, red bell pepper and cilantro together.
Make a dressing by whisking the oil with all the seasoning, red wine vinegar, and garlic.
Dress it all over the salad. Line the bowl with lettuce and put the dressing-coated salad over the lettuce. Serve and enjoy.
Tips:
Prepare the rice and barley ahead to save time.
The ingredients can be adjusted by adding more varieties of beans, and greens, or by lessening the seasonings, oil, or vinegar as per the preferred taste
14. Sweet Corn with Bacon Orzotto
Orzotto is a healthy dish that can fill the temptation of hunger and taste. Moreover, with the combination of sweet corn and bacon, the flavors burst inside the mouth giving a heavenly feel to the picky palate.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil, bacon, onion, pearl barley, sweet corn, sugar, dry white or red wine, beef stock or broth, vegetables, cheese, heavy cream, Vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs like dill, parsley, cilantro, fenugreek bulbs, rosemary, leek.
Seasoning: Salt, black pepper
Instructions:
Wash vegetables and clean the bacon and beef thoroughly.
Make a beef stock from bones or broth from the beef flesh, leek, rosemary, thyme, and fenugreek bulbs and set aside.
Sautee the onion in olive oil until translucent.
Add the barley and toast then add the wine and cook until absorbed.
Add the stock gradually, stirring frequently.
Cover and simmer until the stock is almost absorbed by the barley and has cooked till tender.
Cook the bacon by crumbling, stir-fry the vegetables, add boiled sweet corn, sugar, grated cheese, herbs, heavy cream, and vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper, garnish them more with herbs of choice. Enjoy.
Tips:
Using the excess parts of vegetables that cannot be cooked with the aromatic herbs the broth enhances the flavor of the broth.
Stock is made from bones and is usually unseasoned whereas broth is made from flesh and a little salt is added.
Add the stock slowly in sessions, add the next session when the first one completely dries out.
Barley Mushroom Risotto is a nice side dish for steak or roasted meats. It gives a different but mouthwatering taste to the palate and a charming food on a plate. Although it looks similar to mushroom orzotto, the taste is totally different.
Ingredients:
Chicken broth, butter, onion, pearl barley, dried thyme, bay leaf, olive oil, mushrooms, garlic, and fresh parsley.
Seasoning: Salt, black pepper
Instructions:
Wash the ingredients thoroughly.
Boil the chicken broth separately.
Saute onion in the butter in a different pan then add the barley, thyme, bay leaf, and hot broth.
Bring to a boil then let it simmer until most of the broth is absorbed. Add broth gradually in sessions stirring and allowing it to absorb completely dry before adding more.
Saute mushrooms in an olive oil until tender then add garlic. Once done, mix in the barley mixture and parsley. Once done, serve and enjoy.
Tips:
Remove bay leaf before serving or plating.
16. Cheesy Barley Gratin
This oven recipe is often mistaken as mac and cheese because of its similar-looking appearance, however, below the same-looking top is barley instead of pasta.
Grease the baking dish with a little butter and set aside.
Boil the barley in lightly salted water until just cooked yet slightly chewy
Mix Gruyere cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan in another bowl.
Melt the butter, add breadcrumbs, cheese mixture, and salt together with a little butter, and mix with your hands before setting aside.
Take remaining butter and stir-fry the onions with seasoning until brown then add garlic and thyme and stir until the garlic is just softened. Add flour and cook it by stirring until a thin paste forms around the onion mixture. Then add the milk and seasonings and let it simmer until the sauce turns thin gravy.
Mix the gravy with the shredded cheese mixture and cooked barley. Season as per the taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer to the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheesy breadcrumbs evenly on top of the barley and bake until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Once done serve it and enjoy.
Tips:
This dish does well on the side with roasted turkey, fried chicken, or grilled steak
Let the butter form foam and brown specks in the butter, this will enhance the flavor of the finished dish.
Once the dish is cooked, wait for 10 minutes before serving so the heat of the dish won't burn the mouth
17. Lemon- Asparagus Chicken Orzotto
The limey kick on the asparagus complements the subtle taste of Orzotto when cooked in a chicken broth. These come together beautifully without overpowering each other yet showing the magic of their own flavors.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil, onion, asparagus, chicken pearl barley, dry white or red wine, chicken stock or broth, vegetables, cheese, heavy cream, Vinegar, lemon juice and zest, herbs like thyme, dill, parsley and cardamom pods.
Seasoning: Salt, black pepper
Instructions:
Wash vegetables and clean the chicken flesh and bones thoroughly.
Make a chicken stock from bones or broth from the chicken flesh, dill, cardamom, thyme and, and set it aside.
Sautee the onion in olive oil until translucent and tender.
Add the barley and toast it a little and add the wine to cook until all is absorbed by the barley.
Add the stock gradually, stirring frequently again and again. Cover and simmer until the stock is almost absorbed by the barley and has cooked till tender.
Cook the beef, steam the asparagus, stir-fry the vegetables, add grated cheese, herbs, heavy cream, and vinegar and zest.
Top it off with a little lemon juice, season it with salt and pepper, garnish with herbs and lemon zest, and serve.
Tips:
Use the excess parts of vegetables that cannot be cooked or eaten to add in the broth with spices to enhance the flavor and the nutritional content.
Stock is made from bones and is usually unseasoned whereas broth is made from flesh and a little salt is added.
The stock should be added little by little, again after the previous one completely dries out, and repeat the process until the barley cooks.
Tomato Barley Soup is one of the easiest and simplest soups that is hearty and filling. It is a great dish to enjoy during winter potluck as it can be cooked in a single sitting within no time.
