Barley Salad with roasted Carrots, Olives & Capers

Sweetly roasted carrots, tangy olives and capers, and pleasantly nutty pearl barley come together with a fresh herb mix to create a filling salad full of flavor and texture.

The best part? You can make this salad all year round, since it doesn’t rely on any seasonal ingredients and fits perfectly into an easy, everyday routine.

Our tip: Prepare the pearl barley and carrots in advance and store them in the fridge. That way, you can have a nourishing lunch ready in just 5 minutes.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 400 g carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp MANI Bläuel “The Family Hero” extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 150 g pearl barley
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach (or mixed salad greens)
• 20 g mint, roughly chopped
• 20 g dill, roughly chopped
• 20 g parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp MANI Bläuel capers in olive oil
• 60–80 g MANI Bläuel green olives in brine, pitted
• 1 pack MANI Bläuel organic feta PDO*
• 40 g hazelnuts

For the Dressing:

• 3 tbspMANI Bläuel “The Family Hero” extra virgin olive oil 
• Juice of a small lemon
• 1 clove of MANI Bläuel Garlic in Olive Oil, finely grated
• 1 EL Honig
• 1 TL Senf
• Salz und Pfeffer

* available in well-stocked organic food stores

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat).
2. Toss the carrots with olive oil, salt, paprika, and cumin.
3. Spread them out on a baking tray and roast for 35–40 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pearl barley until al dente and roughly chop the hazelnuts, then toast them in a dry pan until golden brown.
5. Whisk together the dressing ingredients thoroughly.
6. Place the still slightly warm carrots and cooked pearl barley in a large bowl.
7. Halve the olives and add them to the bowl along with the spinach/leafy greens, herbs, and capers.
8. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
9. Top with crumbled feta and toasted hazelnuts.
10. Season to taste and add a little lemon juice or olive oil if needed.