Barley and Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Cashew Dressing

This vibrant barley salad is a great autumn / winter side dish or a simple lunch with great textures and seasonal flavours. Barley, either hulled or pearl, has a low GI, so it will leave you feeling fuller for longer. However, barley is not gluten-free, so feel free to use brown rice, oats or buckwheat instead to meet your dietary needs. If desired, toss the cooked barley with some dried sour cherries or cranberries to add a pop of colour and the pleasant tart sweetness.

	Cashew Dressing
100 g Pearl barley Water Salt 600-800 g Hokkaido (or butternut pumpkin) 2 tbsp Olive oil 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 2 tsp Thyme leaves 100 g Arugula (or baby spinach) Sprouts, green and red	80 g Cashews, roasted 1 Garlic clove 80 ml Water 2 tbsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Fresh squeezed lemon juice Salt and black pepper

Boil the pearl barley in a large pan of salted water until al dente, about 30 minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Toss with a couple of tablespoons of dried sour cherries or cranberries if desired.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Halve the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Add in olive oil, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Spread the pumpkins on the baking tray and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until they are tender. Remove and leave to cool slightly. Add in arugula and toss them together.
For the dressing, pour boiling water over the cashews and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Peel the garlic. Finely puree the cashews, water, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add more water if necessar, depending on the consistency you prefer.
Arrange the barley on a large platter, top with roasted pumpkins and arugula, and sprouts. Drizzle the salad with some dressing and enjoy!

21 comments:

DEZMOND 23/8/24 14:01: Cashew dressing sounds really lovely but you have to knock every time you want to open the fridge, because there could be salad dressing in there LOL
Tom 23/8/24 14:04: ...this looks great, I'm eating more salads these days.
Margaret D 23/8/24 14:30: Looks very nice Angie.
Brian's Home Blog 23/8/24 15:30: That looks so good, it looks like a happy party!
Anonymous 23/8/24 15:45: The cashew dressing sounds amazing!
Jenna from the Painted Apron
Christine 23/8/24 16:29: yummy!
Shashi 23/8/24 17:35: Beautiful and tasty salad, Angie - lovely pairing of flavors and textures.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 23/8/24 21:17: I love barley, and this salads looks and sounds amazing to me - great combination of flavours!
David 23/8/24 23:19: Hi Angie, Very attractive salad...mostly made with items I can eat too. I've never had barley in a salad...or even rice for that matter. Something to try... Regarding the price of the fresh tuna, yes one has to add a 9.5% sales tax to the cost. Speaking of costs, tipping is pretty much expected here in restaurants, coffee shops, beauty parlors, barbers, uber, etc. So, if my wife and I ate dinner at any restaurant and the total with drinks, entree and tax came to $60.00, the expected tip these days in 20% or, in this case, another $12.00. We were in a restaurant this week where the credit card payment computer screen came up with the total...and then the lowest tip option available was 20%...or on up to 30%. Eating out gets pretty pricy. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
LoveT. 23/8/24 23:29: A great dish for this season. Today I already saw pumpkins at the market.
roentare 24/8/24 01:19: The diets are looking so fantastic!
Citu 24/8/24 01:49: Se ve muy rica. Gracias por la receta la haré pronto. Te mando un beso.
Anne in the kitchen 24/8/24 07:13: This is a beautiful salad.
Veronica Lee 24/8/24 08:37: Looks fantastic, Angie 😋
Anonymous 24/8/24 13:47: Looks delicious Angie. You have so many great recipes I want to try. I better get cooking. Bernadette, https://newclassicrecipes.com
My name is Erika. 24/8/24 13:53: I'd load even more pumpkin and green on top of that salad it looks and sounds so tasty.:) Have a great weekend Angie.
Bill 24/8/24 16:53: Nice and healthy.
Cooking Julia 24/8/24 17:59: Nice salad and the dressing looks so good!
MELODY JACOB 25/8/24 13:59: This barley salad sounds absolutely delicious and perfect for the colder seasons! The combination of roasted pumpkin, arugula, and that creamy cashew dressing must create a wonderful blend of textures and flavors. I love the idea of adding dried sour cherries or cranberries for an extra burst of color and sweetness. A healthy and satisfying dish that’s sure to impress!
Read my new blog post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/08/best-ways-to-style-pink-shorts-for-chic-spring-summer-look.html
Thank you.
The Velvet Runway 25/8/24 19:31: This looks healthy, delicious and colourful! Thank you for sharing the recipe
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Sherry's Pickings 27/8/24 04:21: i really love barley! Reminds me of childhood barley soups made every sunday by our mum. Love that slippery texture :)