Quinoa, Barley & Red Kidney Bean Salad with Coconut Milk Dressing

Prep Time: 10 Mins

Cook Time: 30 Mins

Total Time: 40 Mins

Serves: 4

This is my cover song to Justine Snacks Quinoa Summer Salad. I fell in love with her coconut dressing – so much so that I had to make 10 different things highlighting it. You might have seen my coconut cabbage slaw with said dressing – which might be the best creamy slaw you will ever have. But I digress, today’s salad is far closer to her original quinoa salad, but the base is a combination of quinoa and barley. I love cooking these two grains together because they can be cooked in the same pot and then you get two different textures. Red kidney beans for protein, crunchy cucumber, crisp sweet pepper, and slices of plum all scream summer fresh. Tossed with the zesty coconut dressing, the salad is satisfying without being overly rich!

Ingredients

½ cup barley

½ cup quinoa

1 400g can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 Persian cucumber (1/2 of any large variety like English), diced

1 sweet pepper, diced

1 plum, thinly sliced

10g Mint (about 1/3 cup lightly packed)

10g Cilantro (about 1/3 cup lightly packed)  

Salt and pepper to taste

Coconut Dressing

1/3 cup yogurt

1/3 cup of canned full-fat coconut milk

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

6 mint leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

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1. Combine the barley, 2 cups water, and ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the quinoa, and continue cooking, covered, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the dressing by combining all the coconut dressing ingredients in a bowl.

3. In a large bowl, toss the grains with the red kidney beans, cucumber, sweet pepper, plum, and ½ of the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. When ready to serve, roughly chop or hand-tear the mint and cilantro into the salad and top with a drizzle of the remaining dressing.

• Storing Tips

  Store any leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days without the plum (if the plum is added only keep 1 day). Serve leftovers at room temperature with freshly cut plums and herbs.

• Nutrition

  Per 1 serving (4 total):

  Calories: 299

  Carbohydrates: 52g

  Protein: 23g

  Fat: 14g

  Saturated Fat: 7g

  Fiber: 16g

  Sugar: 7g