Barley Salad with Chicken, Beets & Goat Cheese
Light and refreshing lemon dressing pairs with savory goat cheese and antioxidant rich beets in this superfood salad.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
What’s not to love about barley? Try another barley salad here.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup barley, rinsed
- 3 beets
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt, divided
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp raw honey
- 1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped
- 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted hazelnuts, chopped
Preparation
- Cook barley according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add beets, reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, cool then peel and cut into quarters. Fill same pot with water and bring to a boil; add carrot, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes; drain. Transfer beets and carrots to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water. Add chicken and 1/8 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool slightly. With two forks, shred chicken.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, 1 tsp water and remaining 1/8 tsp salt; set aside.
- Fill a large, deep skillet with ½ inch water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add kale and cook, stirring, until bright green and wilted, 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine barley, chicken, kale, beets and carrot. Drizzle lemon mixture over top and toss to coat. Garnish with goat cheese and hazelnuts.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 2 cups
- Calories 441
- Carbohydrate Content 42 g
- Cholesterol Content 74 mg
- Fat Content 16 g
- Fiber Content 8 g
- Protein Content 36 g
- Saturated Fat Content 4 g
- Sodium Content 260 mg
- Sugar Content 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g