Home RecipesSide Dishes Barley, Beetroot and Feta Salad

Barley, Beetroot and Feta Salad

by Tansy Boggon

A roasted beetroot salad with barley, roasted beetroot and red onion, spinach, pumpkin seeds, capers, lemon and balsamic vinegar that is satisfying as a side dish or on its own as a complete meal.

Cooking with barely

Since my nutrition studies, I’ve fallen in love with barley’s nutty taste and texture. Before then, it wasn’t a staple in my diet.

However, when I learned that it is high in resistant starch and fibre, which are beneficial for gut health, I decided to try it. And I love it!

You can combine it into soups, salads, pilaf and risotto.

I use barely in my recipes for Minestrone Soup with Barley and Roast Pumpkin and Barley Risotto. Further, it can be used in grain bowls. See 25 Delicious Grain Bowls and Formula for Easy Grain Bowls for recipe ideas.

Is barley gluten-free?

Unfortunately, barley is not gluten-free. Wheat, barley and rye are three grains that contain gluten.

If you eat gluten-free for whatever reason, buckwheat is a great alternative in this salad. It is quite similar in taste and texture. However, it will take half the time to cook—about 15 minutes.

Why beetroot salad?

My husband often requests roasted beetroot salad for dinner the night before a marathon event or hard training, as he notices the difference it makes to his endurance. Beetroot is thought to increase blood flow and strengthen muscle contraction.

Whether or not this is the case, I’m happy to oblige his requests.

Preparing beetroot for this salad

I believe the most delicious way to prepare beetroot is by roasting.

Beetroot can be roasted whole. Cut off the ends, wash it and wrap it in foil. Then bake for 1 hour, until soft when pierced with a fork.

Cooking beetroot whole, in this way, gives a great taste and a softer beetroot texture than roasting beetroot cut up and cooked on a tray, as I have in the recipe below.

However, it is quicker to cook cut beetroot.

Adding olive oil and balsamic vinegar to cut beetroot helps maintain the beetroot’s moisture. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes in the comments below.

How to serve this beetroot salad?

This salad is delicious, warm or cold. So it can be enjoyed immediately or cooled before serving.

The addition of barley in this salad means that you could serve it as a complete meal with a serving of protein, such as roast chicken or tofu kebabs.

Let me know in the comments below how you enjoy this roast beetroot salad.

Joyful Eating Book Cover.

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“… practical tools to help people release their sabotaging thoughts, enabling them to eat more intuitively and find joy in the moment.” — Michelle Stanton, author of The Timeless World.

Overhead photo of barley, beetroot and feta salad on wooden surface, with lemon, red onion and fresh beetroot.
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4.72 from 7 votes

Barley, Beetroot and Feta Salad

A roasted beetroot salad with barley, roasted beetroot and red onion, spinach, pumpkin seeds, capers, lemon and balsamic vinegar that is satisfying as a side dish or on its own as a complete meal.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Author: Tansy Boggon

Ingredients

Beetroot

  • 3-4 medium-large fresh beetroots ~750-800 g washed and ends cut off
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch salt

Barley

  • ½ cup pearl barley, washed and drained
  • 1 ¼ cups water or vegetable stock
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • pinch salt if not using stock

Salad

  • 100 g spinach or rocket
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, dry-fried or roasted
  • 100 g feta
  • 2 tablespoons capers optional
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180oC and line two baking trays with baking paper.
  • Cut beetroot and onion into wedges and combine with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. There is no need to peel the beetroot.
  • Place on baking tray.
  • Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. The beetroot is cooked when it can easily be pierced with a fork.
  • While the beetroot is cooking, place barley in a pan with water or stock and bring to a boil.
  • Lower the temperature and leave the barley to cook on low, with a lid on.
  • Cook barley until tender and liquid absorbed, about 30-40 minutes. It will still have a ‘nutty’ texture when cooked.
  • Once the barley is cooked, drain any excess liquid from the barley and combine with lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt if cooked in water.
  • Place spinach or rocket on a large serving plate. Sprinkle with barley, then beetroot, pumpkin seeds, feta and capers. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy.

Notes

How to dry-fry pumpkin seeds
Place a non-stick fry pan on medium heat. Once warm, place pumpkin seeds in pan and stir every so often with a wooden spoon to lightly brown on both sides. The seeds will swell up and may pop; this is exactly what you want.
Optional additions
Try with avocado, radish, red cabbage, mint, parsley, pistachios, orange zest, orange segments.
Enjoy!
overhead shot of barley beetroot salad on a platter
Original photo of the Barley, Beetroot and Feta Salad.
Overhead photo of barley, beetroot and feta salad on wooden surface, with lemon, red onion and fresh beetroot.
Photo of Barley, Beetroot and Feta Salad by Elemental Media.

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6 comments

Lelan January 15, 2021 - 4:15 am

5 stars

Reply
Suzanna January 21, 2021 - 6:03 pm

4 stars

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Cathleen October 26, 2021 - 11:05 pm

5 stars

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Sharon January 9, 2024 - 9:02 am

5 stars
This is such a healhty and beautiful recipe! I will add the ingredients to my shopping list to make it this week. Yummy!!

Reply
Karen January 10, 2024 - 6:15 am

5 stars
I love a good hearty salad and this one is chock full of some of my favorite foods. So nutritous too!

Reply
Blair January 10, 2024 - 8:08 am

5 stars
Yum! This salad is so delicious. I love beets so it was a total hit.

Reply

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