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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
1 hour
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Serves
4-6
Author Notes
It’s so good you guys! I mean, lets be real…it’s pretty hard to make a bad salad. You really can’t go wrong putting a bunch of fresh ingredients from the earth in a bowl and tossing it with some warm barley! I actually came up with the idea when I was thinking about a warm goat cheese salad I had at The Russel Tavern in Cambridge, MA a few years ago. You know a salad is good when you remember it years later!
When you pan sear the wild mushrooms, their earthy and robust flavor comes out around the same time that they turn golden brown. The sweet tomatoes compliment the nutty mushrooms, and the raw carrot and pumpkin seeds offer a subtle crunch in every bite. The soft tart goat cheese crumbles lend a creamy dimension to this otherwise bright and crisp mushroom and kale salad. —Recipe Hippie
Ingredients
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8-10 ounces
baby kale
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1 cup
uncooked barley
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1
rainbow carrot, sliced into thin medallions
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2 tablespoons
sliced red onion
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2 tablespoons
grated yellow or red radish
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4 ounces
pioppino mushrooms, cleaned with the ends cut off
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5-6
dried figs, cut in half
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4 ounces
baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned with ends cut off
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5 ounces
red and yellow cherry tomatoes, some whole, some sliced in half
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1
handful of pepitas, or pumpkin seeds
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1
handful of micro greens
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4 ounces
block of goat cheese, crumbled
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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salad dressing of choice
Directions
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Make the barley according to the package instructions. My barley instructions said 1 cup of barley to 3 cups of water, and it took 1 hour of simmering before it was done cooking.
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While the barley is simmering, begin preparing the other ingredients. Brush any dirt off of the mushrooms, and chop off their ends. Thinly chop the carrot, grate the radish, chop the red onion and cut the dried figs in half.
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About 15 minutes before the barley is done cooking, heat olive, coconut or sunflower oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in your mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. To achieve this, try not to stir them too much. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and continue to sauté for about 2 more minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
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When the barley is done, toss it with the kale. The heat from the barley will warm the kale without sacrificing its integrity. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the mix.
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Top with sliced carrot, shredded radish, red onion, figs, pumpkin seeds, microgreens and goat cheese. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and enjoy!
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