I love whole grains! That should not come as a surprise to my regular readers, as I sometimes forget there are other food groups. Anyway, I love grains so much I decided to combine three of them into a yummy salad. Well, technically, quinoa is a seed – but for the purposes of this recipe I’m calling it a grain.
So, three grains and some tasty Moroccan seasoning and you’ve got a wonderful and FILLING side dish. This one is fiber central so a little will fill you up really fast.
I added some delicious dried apricots (thanks Caroline!) and pistachios. A intense mix of Moroccan seasonings gives the dish some kick without overpowering the nutty flavors of the grains. I deliberately kept the spices mild and used some lemon zest and juice to blend the flavors together. The result is a wonderful main or side dish that will last you a few days with ample leftovers.
Ingredients:
3 cups of water
1/2 cup pearled barley
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup apricots, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together all spices
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Stir in barley, return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low
4. Simmer barley for 15 minutes
5. Add quinoa and bulgur, cover and simmer for another 10-12 minutes
6. Remove grains from heat, stir in spice mix, lemon zest and lemon juice
7. Cool grains
8. Add chopped pistachios, apricots and parsley
9. Serve cool
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I've never tried bulgur. Is there another food that tastes similar?
Love bulgur and this recipe is exquisite! I must try this out over the weekend.
This looks tasty, especially with the cardamom!
I think it has a similar texture to whole wheat couscous. So that would be my comparison. It also has a slightly nutty flavor.
Sounds so wonderful and healthy! I love the idea of using pearl barley as a salad grain… it's an underused ingredient in my kitchen, particularly in the summer, so I'm always looking for new things I can make with it.
i love all those seasonings in this! sounds so delicious and flavorful!
Yum, this sounds amazing! I absolutely love whole grains, too. The different flavors all sound amazing – definitely bookmarking this recipe
Oh, yum! I love this combination of grains…I could easily eat this for lunch
I love the idea of using a mixture of different grains. I definitely need to branch out and try more than just quinoa!
I love this salad idea! Did you use fresh or dried apricots?