Cherry tomatoes are roasted until super sweet and full of garlic flavour then added to pearl barley, herbs and feta for this amazingly fresh pearl barley and roast tomato salad.
Fresh summer dinner today 🍅
This is my favourite way to dinners in the summer. Grain/carb + veggies + cheese + bright and zippy dressing. There's so many options from just those four categories and really infinite ways you can create a dinner.
I love the way this salad just embodies amazing summer flavours. The roasted tomatoes take a long time but it's pretty much all hands off as they sit in an oven at a low heat and get super sweet and shrivelled.
The dressing packs a massive flavour punch from the vinegar and lemon juice but once it's tossed through the rest of the salad ingredients it mellows out and just gives a delicious zingy flavour to the whole salad.
Why we love this pearl barley & roast tomato salad...
It's such an easy recipe to make. Although the recipe takes a while thanks to the roasting of the tomatoes most of the time is hand off and it's so easy to make each element.
You can easily meal prep this recipe for weekday lunches or just prep some of the elements ahead of time and throw them together ready for a quick dinner.
This is a great vegetarian meal which uses loads of delicious vegetarian ingredients. It would also be delicious without the feta and with the honey switched for maple syrup to make it vegan.
Barley & Tomato Salad Ingredients
Cherry Tomatoes: These are roasted until super sweet and flavourful with sugar, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper.
Pearl Barley: This can be cooked ahead of time and then tossed with all the other salad ingredients when required.
Feta:Crumbled into the salad for that salty kick.
Herbs: Chives and basil and chopped and tossed through the salad for a bright and herby summer flavour.
Dressing: This is a combination of lemon juice, cider vinegar, honey, garlic and olive oil.
How to make roast tomato and pearly barley salad
Roast the tomatoes: Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, sugar, garlic and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 1 ½ hours until soft and shrivelled.
Cook the pearl barley and make the dressing: Cook the pearl barley according to packet instructions. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside until ready to use.
Finish the salad: When everything is ready put the pearl barley, feta, tomatoes and herbs in a bowl and toss well. Add the dressing and toss well again.
Equipment you need to make this recipe...
Want more? Try these other salad recipes!
- Smoked Mackerel Salad with Quinoa
- Winter Salad with Spiced Butternut Squash
- Tuna Salad with Garlic Toasts
- Roast Vegetable Salad with Halloumi
- Cobb Salad with Pasta & Roasted Chickpeas
- Orzo Pasta Salad with Salmon
- Healthy Potato Salad with Greek Yoghurt
- Avocado Salad
Pearl Barley & Roast Tomato Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 500 g Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ tablespoon Sugar
- 1 cloves Garlic crushed
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 100 g Pearl Barley
- 200 g Feta crumbled
- Small bunch Basil
- 10 g Chives
- Salt and Pepper
Dressing
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ tablespoon Cider Vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon Honey
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 4 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Put the halved tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, sugar, garlic, thyme and plenty of salt and pepper. Roast for 1 ½ hours until caramelised.
- While the tomatoes roast cook the barley according to packet instructions and leave to cool. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside until ready to use.
- When the tomatoes are ready add them to the bowl with the barley and toss together. Sprinkle in the feta, pine nuts and herbs and toss well. Add the dressing and toss again.
Notes
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Sara says
This would be a great lunch! My garden is producing loads of tomatoes and I am always looking for tasty ways to put them to use!
Patty at Spoonabilities says
Oh my goodness, this recipe and all the yummy flavors sound incredible! I've never used barley in a salad before and am really intrigued!
Sharon says
This tomato salad is a wonderful summer side dish. It's really good with grilled BBQ chicken.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Wow, what a combo!! I love how easy this recipe is to make, bookmarked for later 🙂
Andrea Metlika says
This is so light and packed with flavor. Perfect for a hot summers night.