Here’s a Middle-Eastern inspired barley salad that’s a nice offering for buffets and potlucks. Its slight sweetness makes it a good foil for other Middle Eastern specialties like hummus ^[1], tabbouli ^[2], and baba ghanouj ^[3]. Note that pot barley, a less refined form of barley than the common pearled barley sold in supermarkets, is offered as an alternative. Sold in natural food stores, it’s not only more nutritious, but cooks to a less sticky consistency. This is great with ordinary barley as well.

Serves: 8 or more

• 1 cup pearl barley (or substitute pot barley—see note above)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large red  onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup moist dried apricots, sliced
• 1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
• 1 cup minced fresh parsley

Dressing

• 1 cup plain coconut or soy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• Juice of l/2 to 1 lemon, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cumin, and salt
• Pinch of nutmeg

Rinse the barley in a fine sieve. Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the barley, return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 40 to  45 minutes (if using pot barley, you’ll need 4 1/2 cups water and a bit more cooking time. Let the barley cool to room temperature.

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium until golden brown. In a serving dish, combine the cooked barley, onion, apricots, almonds, and parsley, and toss together.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour over the barley mixture and toss well to combine. Serve at room temperature.

• Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining ^[4] easier and healthier.
• Here are more Vegan Potluck Dishes ^[5].
• Here are more recipes for grain salads. ^[6]