Some Barley Recipes to Make Dinner More Interesting

Barley, as you know is one of the richest sources of dietary fiber. Adding these grains into your daily diet will have tremendous benefits on you and your family's health.

As you cook barley and add them into your usual meals, you enrich them with more vitamins and minerals. Unlike most other grains, barley retains its kernel even when cooked, so it is also great for those who would like to lose weight.

How to Cook Barley

You can add barley into all kinds of cold and hot dishes. This cereal grain delights your dishes with a delicious nutty flavor and a nice chewy texture. Without much ado, here are some of the barley recipes you can try:

Pearl Barley Salad Recipe

• What you need: 1/2 cup pearl barley, 1-1/2 cup water, 2 cups broccoli florets, lightly boiled, 1 bunch each of fresh lettuce and scallions, 1 small cucumber. 1 small carrot
• Preparation: Put pearl barley into a cup with water then bring to boil. Cook for about 45 minutes until grains are slightly soft. Rinse grains under cold water then drain. Once cool, mix the barley with the rest of the vegetables and chill before serving. Top with your favorite salad dressing.

Barley Wine Recipe

• What you need: 1 lb. barley, 2-1/2 lb. sugar (granulated), 2 lemons, 1 orange, 1 lb. raisins, 1 gallons water, wine yeast
• Preparation: Wash the barley grains and soak them overnight into a pint of lukewarm water. Strain then mince the grains with the raisins. Pour about 7 pints of boiling water over the minced grains, add in sugar and the lemon and orange zest, and stir well to dissolve all the sugar. Cover the container well. When already lukewarm, add in the lemon and orange extract and the wine yeast. Cover again and set aside in a warm place for about a week, stirring at least once daily. Strain the solution into a secondary fermentation vessel, top with water and cover air-tight. Rack it when it turns clear and wait another three months before bottling. Allow at least a year for it to age before tasting.

Barley Tuna Casserole

• What you need: 2 cups pearl barley, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can tuna flakes in water (drained), 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese (grated), 1/2 cup non-fat milk, 1 egg, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp dill weed, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp salt
• Cooking instructions: Bring barley to a boil in water until tender (about 45 minutes) Preheat oven to 350F then combine cooked barley with tuna, beans, 1 cup cheese and all the other ingredients. Spread everything into a baking pan then top everything with 1/2 grated cheese. Bake for about 50 minutes then serve.

Barley and Salmon Stir Fry

• What you need: 2 salmon fillets, cut in chunks, 1 green pepper sliced, 1/2 onions sliced, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, 1/2 tomato chopped, 2 tsps miso in 1/4 cup hot water, 1 tsp each of thyme, basil and rosemary, 1 cup barley (cooked)
• Cooking instructions: Cook barley in boiling water for 45 minutes until tender. In a wok, combine miso with salmon and spices and cook over medium heat until the salmon is cooked. Add in vegetables and stir until cooked. Add in barley or serve with barley in the middle.

There are a wide number of other barley soup recipes that you can try. You can even be creative and come up with your own barley recipe. Bon appetit!

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