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Overhead shot of a large white serving bowl filled with mushroom and barley salad, red pomegranate and green parsley.

Barley Salad with Lemon Gravy

Toasted walnuts, earthy mushrooms, warm spices, and a tangy lemon gravy make this barley salad recipe the ultimate comfort food. It's super healthy and it comes together quickly and easily.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 287 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups pearled barley
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (more or less if you desire)
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 5 oz baby spinach
  • 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp table salt, plus more to taste
  • 3 tbsp whole wheat flour (okay to use all purpose flour)
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3-4 large lemons, yielding 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • the kernels of one pomegranate
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • zest of one lemon, plus more to taste

Instructions
 

  • *See notes if you plan to make this ahead of time.
  • Cook the barley according to the package instructions (make sure the water is salted).
  • Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Toss in the shiitake mushrooms and onions and saute for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chopped walnuts and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring more frequently to prevent the walnuts from burning.
  • Add the spinach, chickpeas, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and salt.  Stir while cooking until the spinach is wilted down.
  • Add the flour, and stir to coat everything before pouring in the broth.
  • Simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the sauce is thick, remove from the heat and pour in the lemon juice.  At this point you will want to taste the sauce and add more salt, if desired. There is a good chance that it will need more salt, but I leave this up to you because everyone’s tolerance for sodium is different.  But if it tastes bland, add ¼ of a tsp at a time, to taste.  
  • Toss in the chopped parsley, zest of one lemon, and pomegranate kernels, reserving a few for a garnish.
  • Pour the lemon gravy and vegetable mixture over the barley.  Mix it together well, then transfer it to a serving bowl.  Sprinkle with parsley and pomegranate kernels and enjoy!

Notes

To Make Barley Salad With Lemon Gravy Ahead of Time - Keep the cooked barley and the lemon gravy mixture separate in air-tight containers up to two days ahead of time. Heat them up separately, then combine them and stir well. At this point, you can add the pomegranate kernels and lemon zest. You want to wait to add these ingredients for optimal freshness and to prevent the pomegranate color from leaching into the barley.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 535mgPotassium: 513mgFiber: 9gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1836IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 3mg
Keyword barley salad, barley salad with lemon gravy
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