*0366kcal[8.5][10/10]* Barley Salad with Pomegranate, Pistachios, and Feta

America's Test Kitchen - The Complete Salad Cookbook. Barley, said to be the first domesticated wild grass, has been widely used in Egypt since ancient times. Cumin is the nation’s most used spice and pomegranates hold a sacred place in the culture. Inspired by these Egyptian flavors, we created a salad with barley as the base. First we had to choose a cooking method for our barley that allowed the grains to remain distinct. We turned to the trusty pasta method, in which we simply boil the grains in plenty of salted water until they’re tender and then spread them on a baking sheet to dry rather than allowing them to clump in the pot. For flavor, we incorporated toasty pistachios, beloved in the Middle East; tangy pomegranate molasses; and cilantro, all balanced by warm, earthy spices and sweet golden raisins. Salty feta cheese, scallions, and pomegranate seeds adorned the top of our colorful composed salad. If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, make your own (recipe follows). Do not substitute hulled barley or hull-less barley in this recipe. If using quick-cooking or presteamed barley (read the package carefully to determine this), you will need to decrease the barley cooking time in step 1.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet