Winter Barley Salad with a Walnut Mustard Dressing

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenWinter Barley Salad with a Walnut Mustard Dressing

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	10 minutes	Total Time	40 minutes
Servings	4	Cost Per Serving	$2.63

1/2 cup	Uncooked pearl or hulled barley
8	Brussels sprouts, shaved
1/2	Fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2	Medium carrots, peeled into thin shavings
1/4 cup	Fresh mint, finely chopped
To taste	Sea salt

Walnut Mustard Dressing

2 tbsp	Walnuts, crushed
2	Anchovies (optional), finely chopped
1 tbsp	Dijon mustard
2 tbsp	Cider vinegar or regular white vinegar
1 tbsp	Olive oil
1/4 tsp	Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small pot over medium heat add your barley and toast until lightly golden brown. About 3 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups of water or stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer until cooked, about 25 minutes for pearl barley and 40 minutes for hulled barley.
Once cooked, strain the remaining water and allow the barley to cool.
Combine with shaved sprouts, fennel, carrots and mint. And season with a pinch of salt.
Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together well or pulse them in a blender.
Dress the barley and serve.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for Winter Barley Salad with a Walnut Mustard Dressing

Choosing fibre-rich foods can help you get to and keep a healthy body weight. It can also help prevent and control type 2 diabetes and prevent colorectal cancer. The fibre in barley helps to slow the digestion of carbohydrates, leading to more stable blood sugar levels and helping you feel full for longer. Choose hulled barley for the most fibre: it contains the bran, while pearl and Scotch barley have had the bran removed.
Barley is rich in a type of fibre called beta-glucan. This fibre traps LDL cholesterol and removes it from the blood, which may help lower heart disease risk. Barley also contains niacin, a B vitamin that is essential for heart health.
Brussels sprouts are rich in plant nutrients called glucosinolates that may cancer cell growth and tumour growth. Lab studies suggest these compounds may cause cancer cells to self-destruct.