Jump to Recipe Add as a Trusted Google Source

This tomato barley salad is fresh, juicy, and full of texture, with crunchy cucumbers, soft roasted peppers, and ripe tomatoes in every bite. It’s simple but never boring, and it works beautifully as a side with toasted bread, cheese, pasta, baked fish, or your favorite meat.

A close-up of vegetable salad on a white plate.

INGREDIENTS

Cherry tomatoes (in a variety of colors for a cheerful appearance) – If in a pinch, you can use any tomatoes, quarter them, and remove the seeds.
Cucumber – I often use a small zucchini. However, don’t use a large zucchini with many seeds. Small ones are perfect, they are crunchy and perfect for salads.
Scallions – I love using both the green and white parts, but if you don’t have any, try using chives, spring onions, or scallions.
Red Bell Pepper – You can use fresh, but I also love roasted and skin removed (see the recipe card for instructions)
Cooked Barley – If you don’t have barley, this salad is equally delicious with brown rice, whole grain pasta, or quinoa.
Hard-Boiled Eggs – I love eggs, but if they’re not your thing, substitute with chickpeas.
Dressing
- Lemon Juice – I never skip or real lemon flavor.
- Honey – If you can’t use honey, maple syrup works great.
- Olive oil – It’s best to use mild-tasting olive oil
- Mustard – I use Dijon, but any kind will do, and if you don’t have any, you can use mustard seed powder.
- Garlic – If you find garlic too assertive, roast it with red pepper to use roasted, mellowed-down garlic instead.
- Salt – I’m fond of sea or Himalayan salt.
- Pepper – Black, white, or mixed pepper berries.

SALAD DRESSING

This refreshing salad dressing relies on the sour-sweet flavor from freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey. It is whisked together with olive oil, Dijon mustard, and seasoned with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s perfection. This dressing can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you like herbs, you can get creative. Use basil, parsley or cilantro. And a good thing is, if you are not a fan of garlic, you can leave it out.

MORE SALAD RECIPES TO TRY

Warm Apple Cabbage Salad
Asparagus Salad
Mexican Bean Salad Recipe via Live Eat Learn

Print Pin

Tomato Barley Salad with Cucumber and Pepper

Delicious, refreshing salad.

This recipe makes 4-6 servings.

Course Salad, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword barley salad, red pepper tomato salad, salad, tomato salad

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Servings 4 people

Author Hani

Ingredients

Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp mustard
2 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Salad Fillings

2 cups cherry tomatoes, washed, cut in half, use red, yellow and orange variety if available
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 red bell pepper, roasted, skin removed and sliced
2/3 cup cooked barley, cooled
2 tbsp parsley (optional)
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered peeled and quartered
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Dressing

Whisk together 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of mustard, lemon juice from one large lemon, 1 minced large garlic clove, and 2 teaspoons of honey in a small dish—season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

How to Remove Skin from Red Pepper

Roast the pepper: wash and slice the red bell pepper in half, and remove the seeds. Place pepper onto the foil-lined baking dish. Broil the pepper until the skin is charred evenly and the pepper has blisters. Rotate pepper under the broiler as needed. This can take 10 minutes, more or less.
Remove it from the oven, wrap the pepper in the foil, and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it sit for 10 minutes to soften.
Peel the skin from the pepper and slice the peeled pepper into small strips.

Assemble the Salad

Add 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes, 2 thinly sliced scallions, 2 medium size sliced cucumbers, sliced roasted red bell pepper, 2/3 cup cooked cooled barley, and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley into a bowl. Toss the fillings and pour the dressing over the vegetables. Gently stir them together and chill for 30 minutes.