Orze Natura Salad Recipe
Make Orze Natura Salad Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Salad base
Vegetables & fruit
Dressing
Method
Salad base
- 1
Cook the barley
Rinse the pearled barley under cold water. In a medium saucepan bring 3 cups water or vegetable broth and 1 tsp kosher salt to a boil. Add the barley, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 25–30 minutes until tender but still slightly chewy. If using orzo, cook 8–10 minutes until al dente. Drain any excess liquid and spread barley on a baking sheet to cool quickly and stop cooking; set aside to reach room temperature (about 20–30 minutes).
Vegetables & fruit
- 2
Prepare the vegetables while the barley cooks and cools: halve cherry tomatoes, peel and dice the cucumber (or slice and quarter), dice red bell pepper into small pieces, shred carrots if not pre-shredded, thinly slice radishes, chop parsley and mint, halve the pitted Kalamata olives, and toast walnuts or almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until fragrant (shake skillet frequently). If using avocado, slice and hold until assembly.
- 3
Combine the cooled barley in a large mixing bowl with the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, radishes, parsley, mint, olives, and toasted nuts. Toss gently to combine.
Dressing
- 4
Whisk together dressing ingredients: in a small bowl or jar combine 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup), minced garlic, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified and taste; adjust seasoning or acid/sweet balance as needed.
- 5
Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the barley-vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat. Reserve the remaining dressing to adjust seasoning at the end.
Assembly & finish
- 6
After tossing, crumble 3/4 cup feta over the salad and fold through gently. If using avocado, add slices on top just before serving to avoid browning. Taste and add more dressing, salt or pepper if needed.
- 7
Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to let flavors meld, or chill for up to 1 hour. Sprinkle additional chopped parsley or mint and extra toasted nuts before serving.