Barley salad

Insalata di Farro

Barley salad is a delicious cold dish that’s easy to make and it looks and tastes great. You can use rice in place of the barley. There is a nice mix of flavors and colors in this recipe: many vegetables, tuna, eggs, barley, etc! It can be made ahead of time and it can just be taken out of the refrigerator and served. It’s a meal with low fat and extremely healthy. I have taken this salad to many picnics and my family and friends always loved it!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 50 minutes

Serves  7-8

Ingredients:

Water, about 16 cups (4 liters)
½ cup (120 milliliters) white vinegar
Salt, about 2 tablespoons
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup (120 milliliters) frozen or fresh peas
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ pound (220 grams) green beans, snapped
1 pound (approximately 450 grams) pearl barley
¼ pound (110 grams) smoked cheese, diced
1 can best-quality tuna in olive oil, about 4 ounces (110 grams), drained
7 green olives, pitted and chopped
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Bring 6 cups (1½ liters) water to a boil in a large pot. Add white vinegar and ½ tablespoon salt.
2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and boil for 12 minutes. Lift the vegetables out with a strainer and set aside.
3. Add the peas and zucchini to the same pot and let boil for about 6–7 minutes. Lift out with the strainer and set aside as well.
4. Repeat with the red bell pepper and green beans. Boil them about 8–9 minutes, lift out, and set aside.
5. In another pot, bring 10 cups (2½ liters) water to a boil. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the barley and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the barley with a colander and rinse it under cold tap water. Drain well again.
6. In a large bowl, combine the barley, carrots, celery, onion, peas, zucchini, red bell pepper, green beans, cheese, tuna, olives, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and gently mix. At this point, taste the barley salad and add more salt if needed.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Serve or refrigerate.