Several years ago, we were in Los Angeles visiting friends and family during a milestone birthday. As part of the festivities, we were invited to a friend’s house for a potluck barbeque. Being very familiar with the culinary trends of health-conscious southern California, I made a joke on our way there that the potluck would be nothing but raw kale. When we arrived at the party, there was fresh guacamole made from avocados grown in someone’s backyard, gorgeous wild-caught seafood on the grill, and taunting me on the buffet, were no less than three (slightly) different raw kale salads. While I honestly do, love a good kale salad, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Since then, I have made it a mission to research and test a range of summer salad recipes that are perfect for backyard entertaining. For variety, I often turn to chilled grain salads as an unexpected and nutritious option. Here fresh green herbs, peas, and tomatoes mingle with delightful pearl barley for a distinctive side dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh peas, shelled

2 cups pearl barley

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

½ white onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Juice and zest of one lemon

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Add the shelled peas to the bottom of a large mixing bowl and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, like you would for cooking pasta. When boiling, add the barley, stir, and reduce heat to medium. Cook barley for 15 to 18 minutes, until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain water, then immediately add the hot barley on top of the peas. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes to steam the peas. Stir and test one pea for doneness, you want them to be bright green and still have a fresh bite. Stir to incorporate the peas into the barley, then place bowl in the fridge, uncovered, to cool quickly.

Meanwhile, place the onion slices in a small shallow bowl and top with the rice vinegar. Add a pinch of salt, and stir to combine, adding a little more vinegar if needed to just barely cover the onions. Allow to sit at room temperature and macerate until the onions lose any harsh, raw flavor and soften.

When barley and peas are chilled, add the tomatoes, parsley, mint, coriander, paprika, garlic, lemon zest, and juice. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices. Add the onions and the vinegar maceration liquid. Next, stir in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Return to the fridge and allow to chill for at least one hour to allow flavors to marinate together. When fully chilled, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add more olive oil if needed to get desired texture. Serve chilled with more whole fresh mint sprigs as a garnish and a final flourish of cracked black pepper.

Notes:

Pearl barley is found in health food stores or in groceries with large bulk food sections. If you can’t find fresh peas, try using snap peas sliced crosswise into half-inch segments. You could also use thawed frozen peas, adding them to the chilled barley at the same time as the tomatoes. Other fresh summer produce can be added to your liking, such as diced sweet peppers or, yes, even tender kale. Other fresh herbs such as chives, basil or tarragon would also be lovely mixed into the salad. If you are a fan of heat, some pickled peppers such as Mama Lil’s would be a fantastic addition.

This recipe is vegan as-is, but it would also be lovely with some crumbled fresh goat cheese or feta cheese. The barley will absorb a lot of oil, so do not be alarmed if you end up adding a bit more olive oil before serving.

This bright and satisfying salad makes a wonderful side dish to any grilled meat or fish. A healthy alternative to those made with pasta or potatoes, this salad gets its distinctive nutty flavor and hearty texture from the barley. This week, I served it with some curry-spiced chicken skewers and grilled vegetables with my cucumber yogurt sauce on the side for a memorable backyard family barbeque. Enjoy!