with roasted baby onions & sun-dried tomatoes

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Wild Mushroom Barley

with roasted baby onions & sun-dried tomatoes

Pearled barley is a hardworking grain and it just loves to entertain a crowd. Mix it with hearty wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and edamame beans and you’re sure to be impressed. This veggie-packed, flavourful and hearty salad will leave you feeling healthy and nourished from the inside out.

Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Overall Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 2 People
Vegetarian

Ingredients & Preparation

6 Baby Onions
150ml Pearled Barley (rinsed)
30ml Vegetable Stock
40g Spinach (rinsed)
200g Edamame Beans (shelled)
20g Sunflower Seeds
250g Wild Mushrooms (wiped clean & sliced)
240g Carrot (peeled, trimmed & diced)

100g Sun-dried
Tomatoes (drained & chopped)
40ml Balsamic Vinegar
15g Fresh Mint (rinsed, picked & finely sliced)
Oil (cooking, olive & coconut)
Salt & Pepper
Water
Tinfoil

Directions

APEELING ONIONS!
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel the baby onions and halve lengthways – but don’t remove the tip that keeps the layers joined together. Place on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Spread out evenly, turn cut-side down, and cover with tinfoil. Roast in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until soft. On completion, remove the tinfoil and turn the onions cut-side up. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until caramelised.
BARLEY THERE….
Place the pearl barley in a pot with the stock and 500ml of water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts to dry out, add more water in small increments to continue cooking. On completion, the grain should be al dente. Drain if necessary and mix through the rinsed spinach and shelled edamame beans until the spinach is wilted. Set aside with the lid on to keep warm.
TOASTY SEEDS!
Place the sunflower seeds in a pan over a medium heat. Toast for 2-4 minutes until lightly browned, shifting occasionally. Remove from the pan on completion and set aside to cool.
MUSHY MIX & BALSAMIC DRESSING
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil and a knob of butter (optional). When hot, fry the sliced mushrooms and diced carrot for 4-5 minutes until soft and golden, shifting as they colour. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan, season to taste, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar with 30ml of oil. Whisk to emulsify and season to taste.
ASSEMBLE THE BARLEY! Place the cooked barley jumble in a bowl, stir through the mushrooms, carrot and sun-dried tomatoes mix, and season to taste.
HEARTY WILD MUSHY FEAST! Dish up the wild mushroom barley salad. Scatter over the roasted caramelized baby onions, drizzle with the balsamic dressing, and garnish with toasted sunflower seeds and chopped mint leaves. Bon appètit, Chef!