I love a delicious main dish salad full of a variety of ingredients. I used to think I could eat a Cobb salad everyday! Recently I have been experimenting with salad combinations that deliver all the taste and variety of typical restaurant salads but eliminate some of the more sinful ingredients such as bacon.
This Barley, Beets, Gorgonzola Salad features two under-appreciated ingredients: beets and barley. Beets are delicious when roasted but also shine as a pickledvegetable in the winter months. Barley, while generally used as a soup or stew ingredient adds 4 grams of protein and fiber to this tasty salad.
I hope you branch out and try this delicious recipe.
This Barley, Beets, Gorgonzola Salad features two under-appreciated ingredients: beets and barley. Beets are delicious when roasted but also shine as a pickled vegetable in the winter months. Barley, while generally used as a soup or stew ingredient, adds 4 grams of protein and fiber to this tasty salad.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Salad:
- 1 cup roasted beets or pickled beets, diced room temperature
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup sliced radishes
- 1/2 cup diced green onion
- 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbled
- 1 cup cooked pearl barley room temperature
- 4 cups salad greens
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a lidded container and shake or stir to combine. Set aside.
- Toss the barley with 2 Tbsp of the vinaigrette and allow flavors to combine while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Chop all vegetables as directed.
- Toss celery, radishes and green onion in a large bowl with barley.
- Place one-half of the salad greens on a large plate or salad bowl and top with 1/2 of the vegetable/barley mixture.
- Sprinkle each salad with one half of the gorgonzola
- Serve with extra vinaigrette on the side.
Tip: Save extra vinaigrette for other salads or try it as a chicken marinade. It's delicious!
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Bren, I have to tell you how much my teen boys love this salad! I thought I was going to be the only one in the family who would be eating it because they are not a fan of beets or barley, but I was wrong. I served this salad with a roasted pork loin seasoned with pepper and garlic salt, and my boys went back for seconds on the SALAD!!
Plus, I also have to say that this was another great recipe for me to make in order to get ready for our move. I needed to use up balsamic vinegar and barley–perfect!
Thank you for your creativity–I can use all the help I can get!
Danya
I’m so glad you liked it! I hope your boys are now beet converts.
I got beets in my weekly co-op basket and never figured out what to do with them. I will have to try this the next time I get beets!
It’s one of my favorites. I also love them roasted.