Pearl barley salad with fresh peas.

I really love Persian style salads because herbs are frequently used, along with fruits such as plums, pomegranates, quince, prunes, apricots, and raisins. Rice is often used in Persian dishes, but I decided use pearl barley instead. Pearl barley nutritional value is very high and has a vast positive effect on your health as a whole.

This salad is based on a Bulgur salad from the book “Comptoir Libanais” by Toni Kitous and Dan Lepard

Ingredients (6-8p):

• 150g fresh peas
• 250g pearl barley
• 15g mint
• 15g flat leaf parsley
• 2 spring onions
• 1 pomegranate
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Himalayan salt
• Black pepper

Method:

• Boil the barley for about 25 mins in salted water until tender, but al dente. Rinse thoroughly and let cool.
• Bring salted water to a boil in a saucepan and drop in the green peas and boil uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes. Begin checking for doneness after 1 minute.
• Immerse the vegetables in ice water to halt the cooking process completely. Keep the peas in the ice water long enough for them to cool completely, then drain them well.
• Make a dressing from the olive oil, molasses and vinagar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cut, open, and remove the seeds from the pomegranate
• Thinly slice the spring onions.
• Finely chop the mint and the parsley.
• Put all the ingredients together in a large bowl, add the dressing and give it a good stir.
• Serve immediately.