Simple yet delicious in every way. This recipe was created as a result of my desire to create an appetizer using things I already had. With tortilla chips on the side.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 20 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- ½ cup pearl barley
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained
- 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
- 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 8 leaves lettuce
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a large saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in barley and reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool.
- In a saucepan bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil add the rice. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes or until tender. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled barley, rice, black beans, kidney beans, corn, onions, red bell pepper and cilantro. Mix well.
- To make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, chili powder, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Whisk in oil and pour over salad and toss well. Transfer to a lettuce-lined bowl to serve.
Reviews
I made this with no changes except when I got my peppers out they were mush, so no peppers. I have made several other recipes like this one, and we like another recipe better than this one. The peppers wouldn’t have changed anything for us. It was kind of a texture thing for me.
I made this with no changes except when I got my peppers out they were mush, so no peppers. I have made several other recipes like this one, and we like another recipe better than this one. The peppers wouldn’t have changed anything for us. It was kind of a texture thing for me.
Healthy but tastes just ok. Lots of vinegar.
I make this with brown/wild rice combo (with a bit of cumin seed) instead of the barley and white rice. The cumin blends nicely with the herbs. For the brown rice I use Alton Brown’s Baked Brown Rice recipe on Foodnetwork website. To that I add: 1/4 tsp. cumin seed
Love this salad with grilled chicken, salmon or pork. Love it even by itself. Great side dish! Use a mixed rice & quinoa blend instead of the pearl barley and rice. Awesome!
As written this was an okay salad. I thought the dressing was way too bland. I added more salt, wine vinegar and 1/2 lime juiced for more zip. Also added 1 large avocado, 2 small garden tomatoes and some sliced up celery for some crunch. I think adding some additional items not only made it taste better, but also made it look more festive for the holidays.
double vinegar and half the olive oil
I wish I had looked at comments before making as I agree it needed a little more “kick” for our taste but love it anyway.I did add a little more vinegar for this time & will definitely cut oil & add more vinegar. But what a great nutrient packed dish! I had some leftover Uncle Bens long grain rice so used that instead of cooking more.
My daughter-in-law referred me to this recipe, I loved it when she made it, but of course I had to alter a few things. Firstly I skip the lettuce, add chick peas to the ingredients, as well as sliced black olives and on occasion Feta cheese. Regretfully I don’t get to make the recipe too often due to the fact anything less than 6 servings doesn’t warrant opening all those cans. BUT for potluck, large family dinners, etc…it’s great. Everyone compliments me on the recipe. I do find though after a few days in the fridge it loses it’s zest for life. A healthy and filling salad.
My family loved this recipe! I omitted the bulgar and doubled the rice, using brown vs white rice. I also omitted the corn, but used an additional (green) pepper. Next time I will make a bit more of the sauce (1.5x the called for ingredients) just because we loved it so much!
We love this recipe! It is ALWAYS a hit when we bring it! I use brown rice to make it even healthier!
Delicious salad! I subbed chickpeas for the kidney beans which I thought I had but didn’t, and it turned out great! Next time, I will definitely cut the oil down by half. ***This salad makes a huge amount…surely more than 6 servings. The leftovers make a delicious lunche throughout the week.
I have been making this recipe for a couple years now since I saw it on allrecipes and it is fabulous! I have reduced the amount of olive oil to 1/3 cup over the years but it tastes great both ways. This is a great cold salad but what I found to be the best is to combine this with some canned diced tomatoes then top with cheese and microwave it for a couple minutes. This is now my staple lunch and it is so good and healthy!! My family also uses this in their burritos with taco meat or as a topping for their nachos. It lasts a week in the fridge. I can not say enough about this recipe!!
Subtly spicy. I like the variety of texture and color. I did follow another reviewer’s suggestion and doubled the vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. I also halved the oil. I took this to a work function, mixing the salad ingredients and the dressing ingredients separately the night before and then combining them that morning.
The crowd at last night’s neighborhood BBQ gobbled it up, went back for seconds and thirds, and many asked for the recipe. I doubled the recipe and brought home an empty bowl. This is one of those salads that allows you to use different beans and vegetables without comprising its good flavor. The dressing is key here. I added more red wine vinegar, 1 T. white sugar, some fresh key lime juice, lots of cumin, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, and cayenne (rather than pepper flakes). Definitely wanted lots of color, so I used yellow and orange peppers, minced celery, and bright red tomatoes. I made this 24 hours in advance, and it not only held up beautifully, but the wait improved flavor immensely. I added a lot of fresh cilantro and chopped fresh tomatoes at the last minute. It’s such a fresh-tasting, pretty salad. Don’t be afraid to spice it up, and go hog wild with various types of beans. Note: If you make this salad the day before, it’ll really soak up the dressing overnight, so take that into consideration.
oh yeah, this salad is AWESOME. i used brown rice and added a little more garlic and a dash of cumin as others had suggested. it’s so good, i can’t wait to serve it for a party tomorrow! I really think people will love it! 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and it was a big hit with my healthy food friends. This one is a keeper!
I used half the amount of oil and whole cans (15 oz) of beans. Delicious!! Rave reviews at a party! Yum yum yum!
This was good but not my favorite.
Very good!! I just skipped the cilantro because i don’t like it! very tasty and very good for you!
Excellant recipe the kids loved it!