This tasty curried pearl barley salad is a delicious healthy vegan choice for a simple main meal. It also makes a great packed lunch or side dish.
Like so many other people I tend to think of pearl barley as a winter ingredient. After all, it's great in stews. However, there is so much more you can do with it. Like putting it in a salad!
This curried pearl barley salad is a delicious mixture of textures. The grains are chewy, the grapes are sweet and juicy, the kidney beans are soft and the celery and sunflower seeds add a little crunch. It's got a mild curry flavour as the curry powder flavours the barley as it is cooking.
What recipes can you use pearl barley for?
I've recently developed a real love of using pearl barley in salads. It's lovely chewy texture makes it a great choice to use in place of rice, pasta or other grains. It's a great choice if you're looking to make a salad that's both filling and healthy.
The Inspiration for this curried pearl barley salad
I first came across a very similar salad to this one on Fit Mama Real Food when I used to take part in the Secret Recipe Club. My version has been adapted quite heavily and includes kidney beans and a different grain but it is still similar.
Ingredient notes for curried pearl barley salad
For quantities do check out the recipe card further down the post but to make this salad you'll need:
- Pearl barley - I start with uncooked pearl barley as the curry powder flavours it as it cooks. You could use a pouch of cooked barley or another grain and then stir in some curry paste as an alternative if you want something that is quicker to make.
- Curry powder - You can use any curry powder. If you prefer you can use a curry paste instead. If you use a paste. Fry it first, then stir in the barley and then add the water.
- Sunflower seeds - Feel free to replace these with a different kind of seed or even a few chopped nuts. I think pumpkin seeds also work really well in this.
- Grapes - I've used red grapes but any colour of grapes works. They add a lovely juiciness to the salad.
- Celery
- Kidney beans - If you don't have kidney beans then try chickpeas, cannellini beans or black beans.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Seasoning - I always add a little extra black pepper and a pinch of salt
- Lemon - I like to add the juice of a lemon to this salad too. It really takes it up a notch.
How do you make curried pearl barley salad?
Do check out the recipe card further down the post for instructions too. Basically, this is a really easy salad to make.
It does take a little time to make because you have to cook the pearl barley which will take up to 45 minutes. However, you can cook the barley in advance and then just assemble it when you are ready to eat.
Just make sure to rinse the barley well before cooking it as you don't rinse it afterwards. Then, the barley is simmered with the curry powder which gives it a lovely yellow hue plus a mild curry flavour.
Once the barley has cooked and cooled, just stir all the ingredients together and serve. It's so simple.
When would you eat curried pearl barley salad?
This salad is pretty versatile. It makes a great light vegan meal just as it is. It's also easy to transport so you can take it to work as a packed lunch or take it on a picnic.
As well as being a great as a main meal, it also works as a side dish. It would be great as part of a buffet along with lots of other side dishes.
What can you eat with this pearl barley salad?
If you want it to be a side dish, it would go well with these chickpea fritters or with grilled halloumi. It would also be delicious with cold roast chicken or ham.
How long does the salad keep for?
This salad easily stays fresh in the fridge for at least three days, although you may find the kidney beans will stain the barley grains that are next to them. I often make it at the beginning of the week and then eat it up for lunch over the next few days. It's a great option if you love to prepare meals in advance.
How can you adapt this grain salad?
There are lots of ways you can adapt this simple barley salad. Why not use a different grain instead of pearl barley? This salad would also work with rice, spelt, bulgur wheat or lentils.
You can vary the vegetables that are used. You could use cucumber instead of celery. Why not add some more ingredients? Spring onions or peppers?
Do you have to use red grapes? Not at all!
Can you make this salad more spicy?
This vegan barley salad is lightly curried. The curry flavour is fairly mild and I know lots of people reading this will want a more spicy curry flavour. I often add an extra dressing to this salad by mixing curry powder, lemon juice and olive oil together. It definitely makes it a bit more vibrant.
My other trick to add a bit of heat is to mix in a thinly sliced fresh chilli pepper.
Recipe
Curried Pearl Barley Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g pearl barley
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 150 g red grapes halved
- 1 stick celery chopped
- 200 g tin of kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch black pepper
- Pinch salt optional
- Lemon juiced I'm including this as an update in 2024
Instructions
- Rinse the barley thoroughly then add it to a saucepan with the curry powder and 400ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. If the pan goes dry add a little more water. Leave to cool.
- Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan.
- Mix all the ingredients together. Season with a little salt and black pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Barley Recipes
Barley is a great ingredient for stews and salads. With these recipes you can eat barley all year round! Try one of these recipes:
Salad Recipe Collection
I love salad recipes and even have a whole recipe collection for main course salad recipes. Do check it out if you're looking for inspiration!
If you love spicy recipes you might also like my easy spicy recipes collection.
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this curried pearl barley salad or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
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Monika Dabrowski
Such a gorgeous salad meal, i love the curry twist in this salad!
Corina Blum
Thanks Monika! I'm so pleased you like this. I really like pearl barley but the rest of my family are not quite so keen on it, which actually just means I can eat it for about 3 days on the trot!
Dan
What an excellent summer salad. I've got to try it. I think I might even have some barley in the pantry.
Katerina
This is a very healthy and refreshing salad!
Jeanie
sounds delicious. I love grain-based salads.
Miz Helen
What a great salad, I just love the combination of flavor for this salad. A great choice for the SRC, hope you are having a great day.
Miz Helen
Group B SRC
Little Sis
Bet this would work nicely with quinoa too, which I usually have on hand. 🙂
Corina
I'm sure it would. I also have quinoa on hand but like pearl barley, I don't use it very often.