Herbed Barley Salad with feta & pomegranate
Tu B’Shevat celebrations often feature abundant spreads of fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables. Most often, the seven species of biblical Israel are central to the celebrations and traditionally eaten for the holiday. These seven species include wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.
To celebrate Tu B’Shevat in 2021 when we couldn’t be together in person, we put on a seven species grazing board workshop! It’s the perfect treat for daylong noshing in your own home! In this workshop, we taught everyone how to make three dishes that included each of the seven species. We made roasted grape and goat cheese crostini, fig & olive tapenade, and this herbed barley salad with feta & pomegranate.
We hope this recipe provides you with inspiration for your own grazing board!
Ingredients
Salad
½ cup pearl barley
½ cup + ⅓ cup (100g) feta cheese
1 ½ tbsp finely chopped mint
1 ½ tbsp finely chopped dill or parsley
½ cup pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds
Salad Dressing
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp maple syrup
¾ tsp ground sumac
½ tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
directions
In a medium pot, bring 3.5 cups of water to a boil. Add barley, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes, until the barley is soft. Drain off any remaining cooking water and transfer to a medium bowl. Fluff the barley with a fork and set aside to let it cool.
In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, ground sumac, preserved lemon, kosher salt and black pepper. Put the lid on the mason jar and shake until the dressing is emulsified.
Add the feta, dill or parsley, mint, pomegranate seeds, almonds and to the cooled barley, 5 – 6 tablespoons of dressing and stir to combine. Taste and add more dressing to taste.
Finally add the feta, pomegranate seeds and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!
