Lentil Barley Salad with Tangy Lemon-Thyme Dressing
Creamy lentils meets chewy nutty barley in this Lentil Barley Salad recipe! It is a delectable chaos of flavors and textures with cherry tomatoes, blanched green beans, minced red onion, feta, and a tangy lemon dressing.
Picture this: a vibrant bowl filled with the rich warmth of the earthy green lentils, chewy barley, crisp vegetables, and a tangy lemon and fresh garlic vinaigrette. Now imagine yourself enjoying it under a shady tree on a picnic blanket or serving it proudly at a summer BBQ. Pretty dreamy, right?
As the weather warms up, hearty salads like this one are the key to self care. You can make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy it all throughout the week for a cook-out side dish next to some ribs, light lunch (ideally while sitting in the sun), or eating straight out of the bowl when you are too tired and famished to do anything else.
My love for barley in soups has been well documented (see Mushroom Barley Soup and Beef Barley Soup), but it is also excellent in salads. It is a hearty, chewy grain with a pleasant nutty flavor.
Be bold and use this lentil salad not as a recipe, but merely a guide to create your own salad with farro or rice and any number of vegetables, beans and herbs. Come November, I can even see this on the Thanksgiving table with roasted butternut squash and wild rice.
What Are Lentils?
Lentils are little legumes that come in a variety of colors. Green, brown, and red are the most common in the US. You may also occasionally see black lentils. They are quick-cooking (as far as beans go) and very nutritious.
Salad Ingredients
- Pearl barley. Many grocery stores carry pearled and hulled barley. Make sure you get the pearl variety.
- Lentils. I’ve used green or brown lentils. They both work great.
- Green beans. These get cut into bite-sized pieces and lightly blanched for a nice crunchy (but still tender) bite.
- 2 large garlic cloves. To add kick to the dressing.
- Lemon juice. Adds light and bright flare to the salad.
- Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. Just a touch for an acidic kick that is different from the lemon juice.
- Kosher salt. I always use Morton kosher salt unless otherwise specified.
- Fresh thyme. Run your finger down each stem to get off all the little leaves.
- Olive oil is the most flavorful oil to use but canola oil will work in a pinch.
- Dijon mustard. I said this dressing was tangy, right?!
- Cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes or even red bell pepper if you don’t like tomatoes.
- Red onion aka purple onion.
- Oregano. Fresh oregano is so fragrant and flavorful a little goes a long way.
- Feta cheese. This is optional but it adds a nice salty, creamy element to the salad.
- Black pepper. The finishing touch of flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Cook the barley and lentils. Fill a large saucepan with 4-5 cups of water and add a generous five-finger pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the barley and lentils and cook until tender but not falling apart. One of the great things about this recipe is that the cooking time for the lentils and barley are the same!
step two
Cook green beans. Once the barley and lentils are tender, add the green beans and cook a couple minutes more or until they are tender but still maintain some bite. Drain everything through a colander
step three
Make dressing. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl that you will use to serve the salad in.
step four
Combine salad. Combine lentils, barley, and green beans with the dressing in the bowl. Gently stir in the tomatoes, red onion, oregano, and feta. There should be enough dressing to coat everything well. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
step five
Serve! Enjoy warm, room temperature, or cold.
✨ If you loved today’s flavors, try making my Lemon Broiled Cod or my Lemon Oregano Roasted Potatoes. ✨
Variations
Consider this a basic recipe that can be spun in many different ways. Like:
- Use 3-4 thinly sliced green onions instead of the red onions.
- Swap other whole grains like brown rice for the barley.
- This is an awesome dish for those following a plant-based diet. If you are vegan, simply leave out the feta cheese or substitute vegan cheese.
- Substitute different fresh herbs for the oregano like Italian parsley, basil, or dill. You could also go with dry herbs or a seasoning mix like Greek seasoning.
Top 5 Most Popular Salad Recipes
- Warm Kale and Wild Rice Salad
- Cucumber Tomato and Avocado Salad
- Falafel Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Easy Grilled Thai-Style Steak Salad
- Roasted Beet Salad with Cracked Olives
Lentil Barley Salad, On Repeat
I hope you love this warm weather fave as much as we do! When you make it, share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @katesbestrecipes so that I can see. Or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter so you never miss any new recipes.
BARLEY AND LENTIL SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1 cup green lentils
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 1/4 medium red onion, minced
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese,
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with heavily-salted water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup barley and 1 cup lentils, stir occasionally to dislodge any lentils that get stuck to the bottom, and cook until al dente, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat a little bit if it looks like the pot is going to boil over. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the 8 ounces chopped green beans and boil until knife tender.
- Meanwhile, combine the 2 cloves minced garlic, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl that you will serve the salad in. While constantly whisking, slowly add the 1/3 cup olive oil until incorporated. Making the dressing right in the salad bowl will mean 1 less bowl for cleaning—yay!
- Once barley and beans are tender, drain thoroughly through a colander and add to dressing while still warm so they soak up as much dressing as possible. Toss to combine, then add the 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/4 red onion, 3/4 cup feta cheese, and 2 tablespoons chopped oregano. Stir gently and taste; adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.
Notes
- Make-ahead/storage: This salad tastes even better the next day! Keep in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give a stir before serving.
- Don’t Overcook! Lentils and barley should be tender but retain a bit of bite – check for doneness before draining.
- Fresh Herb Options: Swap in your favorites: parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, or a combination for a different flavor profile.
- Types of Lentils: Use green or brown lentils for this recipe. Red lentils will cook down too quickly and become mushy.
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