MA Barley Salad with Spiced Chickpeas, Beets & Feta

What You’ll Use

Dill 

Barley and beet salad 

Crispy chickpeas

Pre-washed baby arugula

Crumbled feta cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Chop ½ cup of the dill fronds, including a little bit of stems. Place the barley and beet salad in a bowl, and add the crispy chickpeas, about 2 cups of the arugula, and the dill, and toss to combine. Pile the salad on plates and scatter with the feta. Grind with pepper and serve.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Step 1

To prep the salad, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chickpeas on the prepared pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, a pinch of cayenne, if you’d like a little heat, and ½ teaspoon salt. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the chickpeas are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container, and store at cool room temperature.

Step 2

Meanwhile, finely chop ½ cup red onion, reserving the rest for another use. Cut the olives in half. In a bowl, combine half of the barley (1 container), half of the marinated beets (1 container), the red onion, and the olives. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Step 3

To prep the soup, remove any tough outer layers from the lemongrass and use the side of your knife to lightly crush the stalks. Cut the lemongrass into 1-inch lengths.

Step 4

In a pot over high heat, combine the chicken broth, lemongrass, and 10 lime leaves. Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to maintain, and cook until the flavors come together, 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the lemongrass and lime leaves.

Step 5

Add the mushrooms and simmer until soft, 3 minutes. Turn down the heat, and stir in the coconut milk, the juice of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Season to taste with more fish sauce, if necessary. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate. Step 6 To prep the baked salmon, cut off the tops and bottoms of the oranges, then trim away the white pith and peel, starting from the top and following the curve of the fruit. Slice the oranges into rounds. In a bowl, toss together the oranges, the remaining marinated beets (1 container), and the remaining barley (1 container). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Contains: milk, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat.

Note: The salmon and shrimp may arrive frozen for freshness. Store them in the refrigerator to defrost before cooking. If you need to defrost the salmon same day, place the sealed package in a bowl of cold water, and leave the tap running in a thin stream for about 30 minutes. If you need to defrost the shrimp same day, place it in a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.