Spring salad with pearl barley and honey halloumi
Spring is all around us and this salad is here to brighten up your table! This is a great vegetarian main that's simple to put together but full of flavour.
Ingredients
For the halloumi
- 225 g halloumi sliced half an inch thick
- 2 tbsp honey
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the dressing
- 60 ml runny honey
- 60 ml balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 120 ml olive oil
- A pinch of salt to taste
For the salad
- 200 g pearl barley
- 700 ml veg stock
- 120 g spinach or your favourite seasonal greens
- 100 g peas blanched
- 10 g mint roughly chopped
- 40 g pomegranate seeds
- 30 g pistachios roughly chopped
Instructions
- Mix together the honey, lemon juice, and oil and marinade the halloumi slices for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. You can whisk these again when it comes time to serve if seperation occurs.
- Cover the pearl barley with the stock and bring to a boil for 10 minutes before reducing the heat. Simmer for about 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the pearl barley is cooked. The pearl barley should have a bit of a bite to it. Set the pearl barley aside to cool slightly.
- Mix together your salad leaves, peas, and mint in a large bowl and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook your halloumi for 1-2 minutes on each side until browned. Move to a plate while you construct your salad.
- Divide your salad green and pea mixture across four bowls and top each bowl with some pearl barley, the honey halloumi, pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and your desired amount of dressing.