Roasted Barley, Sweet Potato and Chicken Salad
Even tho we are heading into fall, there’s still plenty of room for warm salads. This roasted barley, sweet potato and chicken salad is a delicious, nourishing meal for any occasion! I am lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who studied as a chef, and he gave me the tip to roast the barley in the oven before cooking it! This adds a delicious toasted flavor to the dish, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to enjoy normal barley again (he’s ruined me)! This salad is paired with shredded spinach, cherry tomatoes, feta and toasted sunflower seeds, so it’s really satisfying and can be great as a weekly meal-prep, or to serve with friends. See further notes below for modifications!
Notes
This is quite an unusual meal for me as it has gluten, dairy and meat all in one! Normally gluten and dairy are things I avoid, but every now and then I really feel like it. In saying that, the gluten content in pearl barley is much lower than standard wheat, so it’s less of a risk on the gut.
If you’d like to make this recipe vegetarian, just leave out the chicken, there’s still plenty in there to full you up! To adapt to vegan friendly, use dairy free feta, omit the chicken, and use sugar in the dressing instead of honey! Easy peasy!
The barley I used is from Red Mill, they have such an amazing selections of grains! Link below!
If you are looking for a more vegetarian/ vegan friendly salad, I think you’ll like the below!
Roasted Barley, Sweet Potato and Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Roasted barley, sweet potato and chicken salad, paired with shredded spinach, cherry tomatoes, feta, toasted sunflower seeds and a basil dressing
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
- 4–5 deboned organic chicken thighs (about 1.5 lb)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup feta
- 4 handfuls finely diced baby spinach
- 3 small/medium size sweet potatoes, cut into 1inch cubed (I leave the skin on)
- 1 flat-ish tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 10oz cherry tomatoes, halved
Dressing
- 2 handfuls basil, stems/stalks removed
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1–2 tbsp honey
- 1.5 freshly squeezed lemons
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil (dressing) + extra for cooking
Instructions
- Set your oven to 385 deg F
- Rinse and drain your pearl barley, then spread it flat to dry on some kitchen towel laid out on a large baking tray. After a minute or two soaking, remove the kitchen towel and pat the parley evenly across the tray. Bake in the oven for about 15 mins and remove once done – you’ll start to smell the delicious roasted flavor when it’s almost ready. Once removed, turn your oven down to 350 deg F for the chicken in step 5.
- Using a bowl, marinade your chicken in 1/2 tsp paprika, 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, dash of olive oil, salt and pepper – I use my hands to rub everything in. Set aside.
- Set your air fryer to 360 deg F. Wash and chop up your sweet potatoes and add them to a large bowl. Season with a dash of olive oil, remaining 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 flat tbsp sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook for about 25 mins in the air fryer, stirring half way. If you don’t have an air fryer, pop the sweet potato in an oven proof baking dish, and bake in the oven alongside the barley and chicken for about 35-45 mins. I find the time always depends on your oven. They must be soft all the way though once cooked.
- Back to the chicken – set an oven proof skillet onto a high heat on the stove-top, and add a dash of olive oil. Once the pan has heated up, add the chicken (the pan must be really hot before you add the chicken). Fry for 7-8 mins, then flip the chicken and fry for a further 1 min before removing from the heat. Cover with aluminum, and place it in the oven to continue cooking for about 6-7 mins (barley should be out of the oven at this point). Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and set aside.
- Toast your sunflower seeds in a small pan while the chicken cooks. 6-8 mins over a medium heat. They will be nicely browned once done. Set aside.
- Now to finish up the other elements – finely chop your spinach, slice your tomatoes in half, and make the dressing by adding all the ingredients into a deep jug and blitz!
- To serve, add a layer of spinach to each bowl, followed by a large serving spoon of the roasted barley, sweet potato, and your chopped/cubed chicken (option to serve as a whole piece, I like to cube it). Tope with the cherry tomatoes, sprinkled feta, pumpkin seeds and basil dressing! Best served right away, enjoy!
Notes
This is quite an unusual meal for me as it has gluten, dairy and meat all in one! Normally gluten and dairy are things I avoid, but every now and then I really feel like it. In saying that, the gluten content in pearl barley is much lower than standard wheat, so it’s less of a risk on the gut.
If you’d like to make this recipe vegetarian, just leave out the chicken, there’s still plenty in there to full you up! To adapt to vegan friendly, use dairy free feta, omit the chicken, and use sugar in the dressing instead of honey! Easy peasy!
The barley I used is from Red Mill, they have such an amazing selections of grains! Link below!
- Cook Time: 75
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Stovetop, Oven, Airfryer
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