Impromptu Barley, bell pepper & pea summer salad

Barley, bell pepper, and pea summer salad

So….I have all of this barley I’ve been meaning to use up. And I know what everyone is thinking, why not make beef barley soup, or mushroom barley soup or (fill in the blank) SOUP? After all, what else is barley good for, right?! Well, I wasn’t in the mood for soup, plus I didn’t have the ingredients I would need and just wanted to use what I had in the pantry. Then I remembered the rice, pepper, and pea salad that my SIL used to always make, it was one of my favorites! She would always make it for our family gatherings, and I though….I could use barley in that, right? why not??

So here’s the recipe, in rough form. I hadn’t planned on posting it, so I didn’t measure stuff out, really sorry. But it’s a forgiving recipe, and you can adjust the ingredients to your taste. That’s how everyone cooks, right?? Or maybe it’s just me…

A quick note on barley – PEARL barley cooks a little faster and is softer in texture. The HULLED barley tends to be more “al-dente”, both are find for this salad but the pearl barley would probably be the better option.

VEGAN OPTION : just swap out the Hellman’s mayo for a vegan mayo.

Impromptu Barley, bell pepper & pea summer salad – feeds 6-8 people

1 – 1 1/4 cup uncooked barley (pearl or hulled)
3/4 cups of fresh or frozen peas (NOT canned)
1/2 of a large bell pepper (any color) – diced
2-3 TBLS of olive oil
1 TBLS white vinegar
1-2 TBLS lime juice
2 TBLS Hellman’s mayo
1 1/2 – 2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 – 2 tsp sriracha sauce/rooster sauce (optional)
plenty of salt and pepper

Directions –

Add the barley in a pot with about 4 cups of water. Boil for 45min – 1 hour, or until tender.
Rinse the barley with cold water, straining out the water really well.
Add barley and all other ingredients into a mixing bowl and blend well. Adjust ingredients levels to taste.