This Barley Salad with Roasted Chickpeas is very easy to make and you can adjust the ingredients you use to make it even easier. The best part for me is that it can be served as a side dish or as a main dish. I really like to have salads as an entree and this is a very hearty and filling salad.

I try to incorporate whole grains into our diet as they have incredible nutritional value and they are a robust and substantial main course substitute. They have a very interesting nutty flavor and texture that you can add to your salads, soups and bowls.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• I used frozen edamame but you can substitute with frozen sweet peas or sugar snap peas.
• You can use farro instead of barley
• Goat cheese goes very well with this salad if you prefer it instead of feta. If you want to make the salad plant-based you can use vegan feta (violife has one that works well with this salad – not sponsored)
• You can roast canned or dry chickpeas but you can perfectly use store-bought crunchy chickpeas – we always have these at home. They add an extra crunch texture to the salad.
• I used Lemon dressing, with lemon zest. You can use balsamic honey vinaigrette instead. The recipe for the honey balsamic vinaigrette is included in my Grilled Halloumi Salad with quinoa post. 

Types of Barley and Cooking Time

There are two common types of Barley and the cooking time varies depending on the one you choose.

Hulled barley which is the most nutritious one and the refined version, pearl barley. Hulled barley cooks covered for 50-55 minutes. Pearl barley’s cooking time is about 45 minutes. I used quick barley, it cooks in 12 minutes.

How to make roasted chickpeas

I frequently use crunchy roasted chickpeas from the store with different added flavors or just sea salt. I love to use them in soups, salads, and even have them as a snack with some sunflower seeds. These are the ones I used for this recipe

I have roasted dry chickpeas and canned chickpeas, and to be honest, it was because I either wanted to use leftover dry chickpeas I had for Falafel or I wanted to use canned chickpeas I had in the pantry.

Dry chickpeas should be soaked overnight, rinsed the next day, and dried with a paper or kitchen towel. Then placed on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 ° F for 45-50 minutes or until they are toasted. They need to be tossed every 15 minutes during baking time.

Canned Chickpeas only require to be dried with a kitchen or paper towel and placed on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until they’re crunchy and toasted. Roasted canned chickpeas should be enjoyed while they’re warm, they will lose their crunchy texture as they cool down.

You can add your favorite spices but I would suggest doing it 10-15 minutes before the chickpeas are fully roasted. Spices tend to burn or get a little bitter when overcooked.  Anything you add during the roasting process will be soaked up by the chickpeas so it’s a great way to introduce some more subtle flavors to the dish if that is what you are looking for.

This is the perfect salad to prepare and enjoy while binging your favorite show or after having a hard day working from home – or the office.  It is super nutritious, ready in no time, and made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Tag me here and here so that I can see how it turns out!

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Barley Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Feta

Yield: 4 Side Dish / 2 Main Course

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

A nutritious and hearty whole grain Barley Salad mixed with crunchy roasted chickpeas, sunflower seeds and salty feta cheese, ready in less than 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 of a cup of Quick Barley - I used Quacker Quick Pearl Barley (not sponsored)
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 3/4 of a cup of frozen edamame
• 1/3 of a cup of Roasted Garbanzo beans or Chickpeas - I used Saffron Road Sea Salt Crunchy Chickpeas (not sponsored)
• 1/3 of a cup of Feta Cheese
• 1/4 of a cup of Sunflower Seeds
• Salt and black pepper and a pinch of cumin (optional) - to taste

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/3 of a cup of Extra virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp of lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp of Dijon Mustard - optional
• 1/2 tsp of sugar or a drizzle of honey or Maple syrup - optional
• Pinch of Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring broth to a boil in a small/medium saucepan. Stir in Barley and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork to separate the grans.
2. Combine frozen edamame with a tablespoon of water or 2 and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until unfrozen, try not to overheat them.
3. Place barley, edamame, feta, sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
4. in a small bowl place lemon, salt, pepper, cumin (if using), mustard and sugar (if using), whisk in olive oil until the mixture is thicker and homogeneous. Stir in lemon zest
5. Pour over the salad bowl. Stir and mix. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
6. Add the roasted chickpeas and serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 614Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 11mgSodium 846mgCarbohydrates 68gFiber 14gSugar 15gProtein 20g

Did you make this recipe?

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