Barley Lime Fiesta Salad

Got this at ShopRite® and loved it so much I had to make it. This is what I came up with. I had this alongside my smoked chicken and bacon with avocado spread sandwich. Perfect complement! All the ingredients for the vinaigrette are by eye and to taste.

You will need:

  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • ¾ chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, or to taste
  • onion powder, or to taste

Instructions:

Bring the barley and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and chill in refrigerator.

In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked barley, black beans, green and red bell pepper, corn, celery, red onion, carrot, chipotle pepper, 1 tablespoon of canola oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin until thoroughly mixed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, corn syrup, 1 tablespoon of canola oil, lime juice, lemon juice, cilantro, white vinegar, and onion powder; pour dressing over barley mixture, and toss to combine. Refrigerate salad until cold.

Prep Time: 30 mins/Cooking Time: 30 mins/ Total Time: 3 hrs

Servings: 8

Calories: 166.4