As registered dietitians, we’ve seen many foods make their way into to the top food trends—some that are fleeting (like the recent charcoal craze—eeks!) and some that are worthy of the attention! Lately it’s matcha (stay tuned, we’ll bring you more on this lil’ number soon) and quinoa at the top of the list, which has been the hottie for a while now. We couldn’t be happier that you have been requesting us to share some quinoa recipes, after all this high fiber, high protein (think super-satiating combination 😉 ) is a great way to get a quality carbohydrate that will help to keep your blood sugar stable and prevent you from craving simple sugars. That’s why we gave you our Quinoa Breakfast Nibbles, our Quinoa and Veggie Stir Fry or our Cranberry Almond Quinoa or our Choco-nilla Oats and Quinoa Swirl —and now this awesome salad!
Looking for something creative to take to your next get together? Or simply a unique twist to keep your taste buds tantalized so that stay on the healthy track? This tasty dish has got you covered!
While barley hasn’t become the hottie that quinoa has, from a nutrition and flavor standpoint, it should! And together, the dynamic duo of barley and quinoa can’t be beat! Quinoa is a complete protein, (contains all nine-essential amino acids), fiber, and nutrients like magnesium that helps you to relax and manganese that mops up damage from free radicals! Barley is also an excellent source of fiber, as well as a great source of selenium, which helps to protect the skin from sun damage and maintain skin elasticity. This duo will keep you looking and feeling your best! We can’t wait for you to dive into this!
Pssst… we often keep quinoa in Tupperware on weekdays so we can use it as an easy way to get a quality carb—we toss it in a mason jar salad, in a stirfry and even use it like oatmeal with yogurt in a parfait!
Warm Balsamic Barley & Quinoa Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salad
½ cup raw barley
½ cup raw quinoa
2 cups asparagus (cut into ½ inch pieces)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups kale (cut into 2 inch ribbons)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters) ¼ cup green onions
2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
½ cup low-fat or fat free crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
- Simmer barley in 1 ½ cups of water for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan, Add quinoa to ¾ cup water. First, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for about fifteen minutes, or until ready, according to package directions.
- As grains cook, prepare vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice together in a bowl.
- Lightly spritz a pan with oil from a spray bottle and add measured teaspoon of oil to the pan. Sauté asparagus and garlic. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- After about 5 minutes, add diced tomatoes and green onions to the sautéed asparagus. Continue to sauté for a couple more minutes.
- In the same pan, mix in the cooked barley and quinoa, fresh basil, and vinaigrette. Mix well and remove from heat into a separate bowl.
- Mix the feta cheese into the salad, let cool, and serve.
Nutrition Information for One Serving:
Calories: 279 kcal
Carbohydrates: 44 grams
Fat: 5 grams
Protein: 14 grams
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 306 mg
Sugars: 2 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
- Salad:
- ½ cup raw barley
- ½ cup raw quinoa
- 2 cups asparagus (cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups kale (cut into 2 inch ribbons)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
- ¼ cup green onions
- 2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
- ½ cup low-fat or fat free crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Vinaigrette:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Simmer barley in 1 ½ cups of water for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan, Add quinoa to ¾ cup water. First, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for about fifteen minutes, or until ready, according to package directions.
- As grains cook, prepare vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice together in a bowl.
- Lightly spritz a pan with oil from a spray bottle and add measured teaspoon of oil to the pan. Sauté asparagus and garlic. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- After about 5 minutes, add diced tomatoes and green onions to the sautéed asparagus. Continue to sauté for a couple more minutes.
- In the same pan, mix in the cooked barley and quinoa, fresh basil, and vinaigrette. Mix well and remove from heat into a separate bowl.
- Mix the feta cheese into the salad, let cool, and serve.